Cullen House
by esmegrace
Summary: Edward and Bella meet in 1901 Newport, Rhode Island, but their relationship faces serious obstacles. Ness Cullen has landed her dream internship in Newport in 2013. The catch? She's working on the restoration of a mansion once owned by her ancestors, and there may be more to the history of the house than meets the eye.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello. I couldn't stay away, and I'm back with another tale. I hate my new job and need a little distraction.

This one is a bit more like my first story, The Homestead, with some historical elements and a bit of the supernatural. I'm using some characters from the Twilight saga that I haven't seen incorporated into fanfic very often, but I refuse to use a character named Nahuel in present day Rhode Island. I have re-named him Natanael, nicknamed Nate, but you won't see him for a few chapters.

I will try and update every 2 weeks. I don't know exactly how long, maybe 30 chapters?

I'm really trying to develop my writing and don't have a beta, so I'd appreciate any constructive criticism on my character development, general writing style, and, of course, grammar and technical structure.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I'm only using Stephenie Meyer's characters to have a little fun.

Prologue

2013

Ness watched through the driver's side window as her mother climbed the curved brick staircase returning to the front of the house. Her arms hugged her sweater close against the chill morning air. Ness could only see her back now. Her blonde hair had been haphazardly piled on top of her head with a clip, and Ness could see a few pieces slipping out. She had turned to go as soon as Ness's car had left the driveway; Marie Cullen was excited for her daughter, convinced this opportunity was the one to catapult Ness into true adulthood, even though she was already 24 years old. Marie saw no reason to linger on the sidewalk, following her daughter's taillights until they were no longer visible. Ness shifted her attention to the rearview mirror as she passed the house. Her father was a different story. Masen Cullen remained on the sidewalk, his hand raised in good-bye, determined to watch those taillights as long as possible. Ness knew he was worried about her summer internship for many reasons.

Ness hadn't been many places in her life. She had gone to high school and college less than five miles from the very house she was now leaving behind. Granted, they had been prestigious schools. The Paideia School, which she had attended from kindergarten, was one of the most exclusive private schools in Atlanta, and Emory University was well known for its liberal arts curriculum. Her parents were both physicians on staff at Egleston Children's Hospital, which was affiliated with Emory, and they hardly ever had the time or inclination for vacations apart from short trips to the beach in South Carolina. Even her graduate program at Clemson University was only a two hour trip away…at the most.

Ness could no long see her father as she turned off the quiet neighborhood street onto the busier surface roads near Druid Hills Golf Club, but she couldn't pull her thoughts away from his concern. He had repeatedly questioned if this internship was really something she wanted to do. Rhode Island is awfully far away, even for a few months, he had reminded her. Ness didn't blame him for his skepticism. She had never really had the inclination to move beyond her comfort zone, and he saw her destination in Rhode Island as a dangerous one, and definitely not the place for her first foray out of the nest. She had graduated from Emory _summa cum laude_ with a degree in art history and could have chosen any number of prestigious graduate programs. She had chosen the Master's program in architectural history and historic preservation at Clemson because it _had_ been close by.

But this opportunity that had fallen in her lap was too serendipitous to pass up. There was a perfect symmetry to it that her mother had recognized at once. Marie had practically put her hand over Masen's mouth every time he tried to object to the plan. Marie couldn't understand Masen's reluctance; she thought it was high time Ness got out into the world on her own. Ness did understand her father's concern, although she wouldn't validate it. Ness and Masen shared a bond. They were both Cullens, and Marie wasn't, not really.

Ness knew her father had endured a very difficult childhood. His father, Anthony Cullen, who he hardly ever discussed, had inherited a very large fortune, which he had squandered by the time Masen was a teenager and died shortly after. Masen's mother, Elizabeth Masen Cullen, had been an alcoholic, absentee parent and sent him to boarding school in Massachusetts as soon as he was old enough. The money had run out before he left high school, but the school had waived the tuition at the end and allowed him to graduate. This was a testament to Masen's intelligence and work ethic, but had mostly been done as a courtesy to the Cullen name, which was all Masen had left at that point in his life.

It boggled her mind every time she thought about it. She had experienced an ordinary southern upper middle class upbringing, so different from Masen's. He had made sure of that. The idea that the Cullen name had once been so powerful that it could garner that kind of reaction was so foreign and strange, but it was true. Cullen was up there with Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, and Astor as one of the great American surnames. She had never felt deserving of it, but this summer she planned to connect with it.

Ness had scored a coveted internship with The Preservation Society of Newport County in Newport, RI. She would mainly be learning the ins and outs of historical preservation from national experts, but she could also use the time to research her Master's Thesis, and she definitely had a few ideas on where she would focus. The PSNC maintained several properties in Newport along Bellevue Avenue, which was also known as Mansion Row. They had been the summer homes of the nation's wealthiest families during the so-called Gilded Age around the turn of the century. Many of them were now kept as museums with meticulously restored furnishings and gardens.

All this would be enough to make PSNC an ideal summer internship for someone like Ness, but it was PSNC's most recent project that had caught her attention. And this project was possibly the reason that PSNC had chosen Ness from among hundreds of applicants. PSNC was restoring Cullen House, arguably the finest of the Newport Mansions in its heyday. And it had belonged to her direct ancestors.

Cullen House had been built in the 1870s by William Cullen who had made his fortune in the railroads, just like Cornelius Vanderbilt, although was less remembered by history. Unfortunately, he had died before he could enjoy the house, and his son Carlisle was the one who first used the house as his summer home. Carlisle's son, Jasper, had turned to banking as the Industrial Revolution boomed and had expanded the Cullen fortune further. The names seemed like characters from a novel, but they were actually Ness's family.

Jasper's son Whitlock Cullen had been Masen's grandfather, but he had died before Masen was born. He had been born in the early 1920s, served as a pilot during World War II, and continued the family tradition of investment banking. His son Anthony, Masen's father, had been born just after the war. Whitlock was the last to use the Newport estate. He died young, having spoiled his only son, who took his inheritance and purchased a large property outside of Palm Beach, Florida. He then proceeded to spend money hand over fist. By the time, Masen was born, he and his wife, Elizabeth, were no longer on speaking terms. Cullen House was lost to creditors after a nasty divorce. A hotel conglomerate had tried to turn it into a hotel in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but it had essentially sat vacant for years. Restoring and conserving the house was a vast undertaking and had been underway for a few years already.

And now Ness would take part in that. It seemed very fitting to her, but she knew her father worried that it would affect her negatively somehow. She guessed he believed the money and possessions had been a family curse. She had tried to convince him that she just wanted to get in touch with her history, but he retorted that some things were better left in the past. Her musings had kept her company to the I-85 on ramp, and as she accelerated, she decided to put her father out of her mind and just enjoy the adventure.

1901

Edward swatted the net with his racket in frustration. Jasper had managed to beat him yet again. His younger brother was proving to be a formidable opponent this summer. He would have to see if he could cajole Garrett Vanderbilt into a friendly game later this week. He was certain that was a match he could win.

Jasper had his head thrown back in laughter and was performing some sort of unbecoming victory dance. Edward tugged on his shirtsleeves, pulling them down over his forearms. A glance down at his white pants confirmed that they were likely ruined with grass stains. He huffed in aggravation. Jasper approached the net.

"Calm down, Edward," he called out when he recognized Edward's frustration. The smirk was still firmly in place, however. "You can't be the best at everything, you know. And stop hitting the net with the racket like that, you'll break it." Jasper extended his hand across the net for a shake. Edward took it and squeezed, smiling at Jasper sheepishly. His brother was, of course, forgiven. He rounded the net and threw his arm around Jasper's shoulders.

"Looks like you've had a good teacher, little brother," he bantered, ruffling Jasper's sun-bleached hair. Jasper really had been spending a good deal of time outdoors since they'd come down to Newport. Edward suspected it has something to do with Miss Alice Brandon, who he had spied down at Bailey's Beach the first week after they had arrived. Miss Brandon was from Charleston, SC, but was staying with relatives in Newport this summer. Edward could not understand the fuss, but Jasper had talked non-stop about her since the day he had seen her. Apparently, an errant wave had caused her to tumble, and the knee-length skirt of her bathing costume had flipped up enough for Jasper to catch a glimpse of the bloomers underneath. He had behaved so erratically the rest of that afternoon, that their father had thought he had heat stroke. He had confided the truth to Edward, however.

Edward took a moment to enjoy the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks below as they crossed the wide lawn to the main house. It was a spectacular sunny day without any hint of the fog that sometimes plagued the area, and he could clearly see Swan Court high on top of the cliff at the end of Bellevue Avenue, their closest neighbor. He glanced in the other direction toward the marina and could just make out his father puttering around atop his beloved yacht. The isolation of life on the tiny island where Cullen House had been built was sometimes stifling for Jasper, but Edward enjoyed it. He had little use for social interaction unless it was directly related to business. He knew his mother was anxious for him to consider marriage, but Edward had great plans for the Cullen family and was focused on expanding their interests into the world of finance.

"So," Jasper began, breaking the silence, "have you talked with Mother today?" Edward shook his head and crinkled his brow.

"No, why do you ask?" Jasper looked delighted as he began to answer Edward's question. He could be as big a gossip as one of the Astor women sometimes.

"Charles Swan plans to debut his daughter later this month," he said conspiratorially. Well, Jasper had played that one well. This news shocked even Edward.

"The one whose mother was a house maid," he asked disbelievingly. Jasper nodded with delight.

"Yes, when Swan's wife died childless, he plucked the girl from her mother's care and took her in. He was devastated by his wife's death and wanted an heir but couldn't stomach re-marrying," Jasper continued.

"Yes, yes, I've heard that story, too, Jasper. Or should I call you Jasperina, you terrible gossip?" Edward spat impatiently. Jasper chuckled but complied.

"Anyway, she's been away in boarding school in France for the last several years and has just returned now that she is seventeen," he finished his tale.

"And he's seriously going to publicly debut her?" Edward questioned. "It will be a terrible scandal, and she'll be ridiculed. Who would attend such a ball?" Jasper looked at Edward soberly.

"We would," he said, "if Mother insisted, and she plans on doing so." Edward gasped.

"We couldn't possibly expose the Cullen name to such disgrace!" he exclaimed. Jasper nodded in sympathy.

"I understand your point, but Mother was close friends with Swan's wife as you know and wants to support him. She says Susan would want her to do it," he shook his head fondly at his mother's idiosyncrasies. "You know if it gets out we plan to attend, then others will do so as well." Edward had to concede this point. The Cullens had only slightly less power than the Vanderbilts.

"The girl won't find a husband," Edward warned, trying to reconcile himself to the idea of attending the ball. He knew all too well that his mother couldn't be resisted if she decided to take a stand on this issue.

"Not our concern, right, brother?" he placated, and Edward nodded grimly.

"And what is the girl's name?" Edward asked distractedly as they approached the verandah doors to enter the house. He had to get his tennis whites to the chambermaid immediately if the staff were to have any hope of removing the stains in the laundry. He was only half-listening when Jasper answered him.

"Isabella Swan."

I hope you've enjoyed reading this. Next chapter in about 2 weeks. Feel free to drop a review and let me know what you think.

EG


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, well, here's a new chapter after only a week, but I'd expect the updates to be every 2 weeks from here on out. I just don't have the time to write faster than that.

This story will alternate between 2013 and 1901 but will be mostly 2013. Not every chapter will have a 1901 portion. Like this one.

I don't own Twilight, and that goes for all the rest of the chapters…

Chapter 1

2013

Ness was glad she had gotten on the road as early as she had. Google maps had indicated the trip from Baltimore to Newport would only take a little over seven hours, but she had spent hour after hour barely crawling along I-95, and she was now crossing the Newport Bridge almost ten hours later. She had spent an enjoyable evening giggling and reminiscing with her cousin over a bottle of wine. They had missed seeing each other at the family gathering the prior Christmas, and Ness had planned her road trip to include a night at her apartment in Baltimore.

Bridges made Ness a little nervous, and as a result, she kept her hands firmly on the wheel and focused straight ahead as she crossed. However, the spectacular scenery kept intruding, and she felt her eyes straying the further she progressed. The late afternoon sun sparkled off the water, and the rocky coast loomed in front of her. She knew the mansions were on the south end of the peninsula, and she couldn't see them from here, but her historian's imagination was evoked anyway, and she found herself trying to picture what it would have been like to arrive here a hundred years ago. She snorted when she realized the first glaring difference would have been the absence of the bridge she was currently traveling.

There was a large cluster of gray stone government-type buildings spread out off to her left as she passed into Newport proper, and she vaguely remembered that there was a Navy base here, too. She was forced to reduce speed to a creep as she entered the tiny downtown area. It was five o'clock on a Saturday afternoon in early summer after all, and the tourists were out in full effect. She was actually glad for the chance to slow down and take everything in, excited to return at a later time to peruse the interesting cobblestone streets and maybe shop a little. She spied the spire of Trinity Church and knew she had to make a trip inside soon. There was a personal bit of Cullen family legend inside that she had heard about from her parents.

Finally, she turned onto Bellevue Avenue and felt a rush of anticipation. She would be at the offices of the NCPS in just a few minutes. The street was residential and tree-lined, but the traffic was still bumper to bumper with all the tourists out visiting the Newport Mansions. Ness took in the scene with tourist's eyes as well, but a small part of her was reminded that she was looking at a scene familiar to her ancestors. There was Cullen imprint on this area, and she intended to connect with it.

Her determination turned to awe as she drove past the Isaac Bell House. It was a large Victorian home built in the shingle style, and she recognized it as one of the homes maintained by the NCPS. She realized her speed had slowed to almost idle when a sharp horn honk from behind her penetrated her reverie. She focused on the task at hand and was at the NCPS headquarters in less than two blocks.

The Osgood-Pell House was a large stone structure set back from the broad avenue with an iron gate. The gate was open to a short driveway which led to a parking lot. It appeared things closed down at five o'clock, the lot was mostly empty. Ness parked and slowly walked toward the front door of the building. The place was well-marked with the dark green sign and logo of the NCPS. The entryway was very grand with a sweeping stone stairwell, but she followed the signs down a short hallway to her right toward the administrative offices. The door to the office was open, and a heavy set woman with red-hair was behind a desk, absently staring at a computer screen and chewing on the end of a pen. She didn't hear Ness enter the room and jumped abruptly when Ness cleared her throat.

"Oh, you startled me!" she choked, but then a wide grin split her face. "You must be Renesmee Cullen!" Ness felt her face grow hot and was quick to answer.

"I go by Ness," she corrected the woman firmly. The woman's smile faded slightly before resuming its previous brightness.

"Of course, _Ness_ Cullen," she amended, standing up and extending her hand across the desk. "I'm Shelley Cope, Director of Museum Affairs. I'm so pleased to meet you." Ness flushed again, this time with embarrassment over being so forward with her new boss.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be here, Mrs. Cope. And I'm so much later than I originally expected," Ness fretted, but Shelley stopped her ramblings with a wave of her hand, her smile never fading.

"Nonsense, I always have work to do, although I probably got all of my secretary's things out of order sitting at her desk just now. She'll be nonplussed on Monday, no doubt," she laughed. "I usually have to sit back there," she gestured toward a walled off office area at the back of the administrative spaces. "And please call me Shelley. We aren't formal around here; we leave that to the people whose lives we study." Ness couldn't help but smile back at Shelley. The situation was starting out better than she'd hoped.

"Anyway," Shelley fumbled with the papers on the desk, grabbed something, and came around to where Ness was standing, "here are keys to your residence. You are aware that you'll be using Salve Regina housing? We accredit our internship program through that university." Ness nodded. "You'll be in a three bedroom house. The address is in your packet." She handed Ness a cardboard folder that seemed to be overflowing with paperwork.

"Since you're the last to arrive, you'll be sharing the largest bedroom with another intern. Given your area of interest, though, I have no doubt that you and Rosalie Hale will get along. I hope you're comfortable having a male housemate?" Shelley's forehead wrinkled in concern, and Ness quickly shook her head. Shelley let out a relieved breath.

"Good, I didn't think of that until just now!" She berated herself with a laugh. "Anyway, you'll also be with Emmett McCarty and Serena Joham. Have you met any of the other interns?" Shelley looked at Ness expectantly.

"Um, no, I'm at Clemson, upstate this year, and I haven't really been to any of the national conferences," she mumbled with embarrassment. Even though Shelley hadn't commented on it specifically, she wondered again if she had only been invited as an intern here because of her last name. She was going to have to get that chip off her shoulder if she was going to accomplish anything this summer.

"Well, go on and meet your housemates. We'll get started bright and early on Monday morning. Make sure you are familiar with the packet by then," Shelley dismissed her with a friendly wave, but Ness detected an edge of business-like efficiency that had been hidden in their interaction thus far. Shelley was obviously well-qualified for her job and would expect her interns to work hard. Well, that was fine by Ness. She clutched the folder to her chest and grasped the keys in her fist, giving Shelley a wave of her own on the way out of the office.

Ness crossed the stone porch on her way back to the parking lot but stopped when she reached the short steps. The saltiness of the air pricked at her nose, and she took in a deep breath. The ocean was close; she thought she could almost hear the waves. It gave her a funny feeling she couldn't quite identify, like she was on the verge of something. She put the packet on the passenger seat when she climbed back inside her car and typed the address she'd found on the second page into Google maps on her phone. The house was very close, just around the corner on Narragansett Avenue.

Ness made the short drive and parked in front of the house once she recognized the address. It was a light gray ranch-style with a shingled roof and had a well-manicured lawn. There were tasteful slate blue shutters and white trim around the windows and door. It had a sign in the front yard identifying it as university housing so she knew she was in the right place. Before she got out and began carrying her things inside, she turned to her phone again. It looked like it was only about a mile and half from here to the ferry landing spot which would take her to Cullen House. Good thing she'd brought her bike. It was on a rack attached to the trunk of the Accord she was driving.

Ness climbed out of the car, grabbing just her purse and the packet along with the keys. She figured she go in and meet everyone first and come back for all her stuff later. She mounted the single step leading to the front door and bent to insert the key in the lock, but before she could turn it, the door flew open. Ness jumped in surprise and let out a small squeak. She was looking at a statuesque blonde in a lavender sundress. She made Ness feel grubby and inadequate in her white shorts and navy Emory t-shirt. Ness's hair was an auburn color that she knew was attractive, but it was currently pulled back in a pony-tail. This girl's hair waved gently around her face and down her back, shiny and perfect. The two stared at each other.

"Um…hi," Ness finally said. The girl seemed just as surprised as she was to find her standing on the doorstep. "I'm Ness," she introduced herself awkwardly.

"Oh, sorry," the girl apologized finally, giving her a welcoming smile. "I was just running to the car to look for my sunglasses. I didn't expect anyone to be out here. Come inside, I'm Rosalie," she invited. She stepped back and waved her arm behind her toward the living room. Ness followed her into the house. A large, dark-haired man was seated on the couch in front of a flat screen TV. He glanced up curiously at her.

"Hey, guys, this is Ness," Rosalie said. Ness was looking at the dark-haired guy, who was now flashing a dimple-accented smile, so she didn't see the fourth person enter the living room from the short hallway leading to the bedrooms.

"Is that short for Vanessa?" a sharp voice queried, causing Ness turn quickly in that direction. An olive skinned girl with wild, curly dark hair framing her face was leaning against the wall studying her. She had an exotic look, and Ness had another flash of insecurity, but she gazed back at her recognizing the challenge in the girl's question.

"No," she answered at last, "it's just Ness." But the girl's eyes narrowed; she was unsatisfied with that answer.

"You're the Cullen girl, right? You've got some funny, long name. I saw it on the list," she insisted. Ness sighed.

"Yes, I'm Ness Cullen," she confirmed with resignation. This was what she'd been afraid of and maybe what her father had tried to warn her about. "My full name is Renesmee, which was my parents' idea of creativity. I don't like it, so I go by Ness." The dark-haired girl smirked at her.

"Of course, you can't restore Cullen House without a Cullen," she said pointedly. "Are you really related? To them?" The dark-haired guy looked chagrinned, but Rosalie was tired of the inquisition.

"For god's sakes, Serena, stop with the interrogation. Rude much? Introduce yourself," Rosalie burst out. Serena huffed, and the dark-haired man took the opportunity to stand up and extend his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Ness, I'm Emmett," he told her kindly. She smiled back at his easy manner. "We were getting ready to head downtown for dinner at one of the pubs, kind of a get to know you. Now that you're here, our house is complete, and you can go with us."

"Great, now we'll have to wait for her to get settled. I'm already starving," Serena mumbled but Ness heard her. Luckily, Rosalie didn't.

"Good plan, Emmett," Rosalie agreed and turned to Ness. "I'll help you carry your stuff inside. We're sharing a bedroom." Emmett moved toward the front door, obviously intending to pitch in. Serena glowered at them, but finally stepped forward to help as well.

"I'm Serena," she grudgingly introduced. "Sorry I got a little excited there. But are you related?" she turned the conversation back to her original question. Emmett and Rosalie both stopped to look at her curiously unable to pretend they didn't want to hear the answer as badly as Serena did. Ness felt her cheeks burn again for the umpteenth time today and cast her eyes down, unable to make eye contact with her new roommates.

"Yes," she admitted. "My grandfather was the last Cullen owner of the property." You could have heard a pin drop. The three interns all stared at her; Emmett's mouth was even open slightly. Serena broke the silence.

"Well, no wonder they hired you," she barked out with a laugh. Ness was mortified to have her own fears voiced out loud by someone else.

"Hey," Rosalie protested. "Doesn't your brother work for NCPS, Serena?" Serena laughed again.

"Yeah," she said, "but we were both interns last summer, and then he got hired. No nepotism there," she sing-songed. Ness couldn't say anything. She felt so uncomfortable.

"Oh, gimme a break," Rosalie dismissed her. "Let's get Ness's stuff so we can go get a beer." She stalked past all of them, across the lawn towards Ness's car. Ness had a feeling she'd need to take backbone lessons from Rosalie before the summer was over.

Less than an hour later, the four roommates found an open four top near the bar in a crowded, little Irish pub just off of Washington Square in the middle of downtown. Even Serena had given grudging respect at how quickly Ness had dropped her possessions and changed clothing. They had made the mile long trek through the leafy neighborhoods in order to avoid naming a designated driver. Plus, Serena, who had lived in Newport the prior summer, had insisted that parking would be nearly impossible. Ness had thoroughly enjoyed the walk, taking in her new surroundings. The sun was still up, and the weather was warm and pleasant.

Ness, Rosalie, Emmett, and Serena chatted during the walk, going two by two down the narrow sidewalks but changing partners often as the conversation flowed. Ness learned that Serena wasn't so bad, just a little outspoken and brusque. She and Rosalie were both from the Columbia program, so they already knew each other. They did, however, have different concentrations. Serena was focused on the decorative arts and was going to be helping to restore and acquire furnishings for Cullen House so it could be opened as a museum. Serena's brother was an arborist hired by the landscape architect for NCPS. He worked on all the NCPS properties, but, according to Serena, the next few months while the weather was warmest, he would be working primarily on Cullen House's grounds.

Despite her earlier comments, Serena admitted that she wouldn't have known about the NCPS opportunity without her brother. He had given her the application information for the history internships after he secured his own internship with the Director of Landscaping. Ness was impressed to learn that she had been chosen before she had begun graduate school. In fact, she had been scheduled to start a Masters in art history but changed into the conservation program at the last minute with the help of Shelley Cope at the end of last summer.

Rosalie focused on the history and archeology aspect of conservation and would be working on the archeological dig upon the island of Cullen House. That news gave Ness a little thrill at the thought that Rosalie might uncover some artifacts belonging to her ancestors. She was becoming more intrigued with her family history as the night wore on. It was obvious that Rosalie had been trying to play it cool back at the house when they first met, and she seemed to be some kind of Cullen family expert. She name dropped characters out of Ness's family line like she was personally acquainted with them. Rosalie was clearly a dedicated researcher. Ness promised herself to learn a little from Rosalie. She knew the basics, but her father really didn't like to talk about the Cullen's very much.

Emmett had the most interesting background of them all in Ness's opinion. He was student in stonemasonry at The American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, SC. They would probably work together quite a bit since Ness's specialty was as an architectural and building historian, and Emmett would be involved in actually restoring the stonemasonry of Cullen House to its original condition. Emmett was a kind and jovial soul and already seemed to be taking Ness under his wing, giving her tons of advice, since she would be moving to the Charleston campus for the second year of her Master's program. It did not escape Ness's notice how often Emmett's eyes slid to Rosalie, and she wondered if a summer romance was in the works.

The conversation slowed down a little after the first round of drinks while they waited for their food to arrive. The four had now covered each other's basic backgrounds and talked about their upcoming assignments for the summer, and topics seemed to have stalled. So, Serena went back to what she considered the juiciest tidbit so far.

"So, Ness, is it weird for you to be here studying your family's old estate when someone else owns it now? And you've never been to Newport before?" she asked with such curiosity. Ness could tell she wasn't being malicious; she just didn't have much sensitivity. The waitress had just delivered her second pint, so Ness was feeling flushed, and she was having such a good time that she answered without reservation. These people were obviously going to be her friends, and it didn't hurt to be honest. It was a topic she'd always felt strange about, and she certainly couldn't talk to her dad about it.

"Yeah, I guess it is a little weird," Ness admitted. Serena nodded, encouraging her to continue. "I mean, my dad didn't have much of a relationship with my grandfather, so he doesn't like to talk about the family much. Maybe I thought coming here would help me connect with it a little more. My dad was an only child, and we don't ever see anyone from his side of the family. I don't think he even has any relatives. I'm an only child, too, so I guess I'm the last Cullen, until I get married anyway."

"If my last name were Cullen, I'd never change it, married or not," Serena snorted. Rosalie grimaced at her tactlessness but couldn't help her own curiosity.

"So, what does your dad do, Ness?" she asked carefully, not wanting to put her new friend on the spot, but unable to deflect her academic interest. Or so she told herself.

"He's a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. My mom's a pediatrician. They met in medical school in Boston," Ness answered. She appreciated Rosalie's more discreet way of questioning and really didn't mind talking about her parents. They had nothing more to do with Cullen House than she did. "My dad went to boarding school in Massachusetts, too, so he's sort of from around here."

"And you've never been to Newport before?" asked Emmett. "Not even out of curiosity?" Ness grinned at him.

"Well, I'm here now, aren't I? Does that count?" The four of them laughed. "My mom talked him into a weekend vacation here in Newport while they were in residency. They also finished residency in Boston together. Inseparable from the time they met, I'm told." Ness smiled fondly at the thought of her parents. Emmett interrupted her thoughts with another question.

"Did they try and get a peek at Cullen House?" Ness's smile faded, and she shook her head.

"No, it was owned by some real estate conglomerate at the time, and they were trying to make it into a hotel. Since it's on an island, there's no way to get a casual look. My dad didn't care to see it, but my mom said they stood on the Cliff Walk behind Swan Court and could just make out part of the building beyond the grown over gardens and south lawn. I want to hike part of Cliff Walk tomorrow and see that view before we go over there on Monday." Serena shook her head.

"Oh, I doubt we'll make it out there on Monday. We'll have meetings and orientation at Osgood-Pell," she announced, deflating Ness a bit.

"Well, whenever we make it out there, I want to see that view tomorrow. And Trinity Church is on my list for tomorrow, too," Ness added. Her enthusiasm for being the center of attention had waned, and she was glad to see the waitress approaching with their burgers. She didn't need to worry because as luck would have it, Serena's attention would not return to her that night.

There was a loud outburst of laughter from the bar, and they all turned to investigate the source as the waitress laid out their plates. A group of men dressed in white Navy uniforms were clustered at one end, laughing uproariously, while one of them reached for what appeared to be a tequila shot, a resigned expression on his face. Ness speculated that he had lost a bet. She wondered if someone would start singing "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" soon. Rosalie leaned toward Ness with a gleeful expression.

"Officers!" she crowed in a silly falsetto. Emmett looked confused, but Serena and Ness got the reference right away. You couldn't be an art historian without a working knowledge of Jane Austen. The girls dissolved into giggles, and Emmett looked decidedly unhappy. Ness chanced another look toward the bar and met the eyes of the Navy man on the end. He was extremely handsome with tan skin and jet black hair. She jerked her eyes away in embarrassment immediately, chagrinned to have been caught staring.

Ness risked a glance a few minutes later, sure that he would have moved on, but he was still looking at her, a wide grin on his face. She noticed his teeth were very white and very straight. An all together very pretty face, if she did say so herself. His grin was friendly and open, not predatory, so she found herself smiling back. He elbowed the man standing next to him, who had pale skin and blonde hair and was also remarkably handsome. The second man turned his attention to their table, and the two started in their direction.

Conversation came to a halt as the two men arrived at the table. They stood next to each other near the edge of the table between Rosalie and Ness. Ness's heart was pounding. She wasn't very good at these bar scenarios. Between her band geek status in high school and living at home during college, she didn't have much dating experience.

"Hi," the dark haired man greeted, "I'm Jake, and this is Royce." He tilted his head to indicate the blonde man. "Sorry our group is so loud. I hope we weren't disturbing you." He looked around the table expectantly, his gaze resting on Ness at the end. She figured he was trying to read the dynamic of the group. Royce was watching Rosalie, and Emmett was glaring daggers at the two Navy men. They certainly looked sharp in their crisp white shirts and pants. Their belt buckles and gleamed gold along with some stripes sewn onto their dark shoulder boards. Ness was definitely worried the situation could devolve. Serena was the one to break the awkward moment.

"Of course not," she simpered, attention fixed on Jake. "Just watching your buddy shoot tequila. What's the occasion?" Jake reluctantly pulled his gaze from Ness to focus on Serena.

"Oh, he lost a bet," Jake answered, giving Royce the side-eye. It was obviously an inside joke.

"That's what I thought!" Ness blurted and immediately flushed. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. Jake's eyes snapped back to her.

"Oh, you did, did you?" Jake laughed and smirked at her. "So, we've been in here almost every night this past week, and I haven't seen you guys before. What's the occasion?" He turned Serena's words back on her, effectively forcing the group to introduce themselves. Serena jumped back in, eager to win back Jake's regard.

"I'm Serena, and this is Rosalie, Emmett, and Ness," she pointed around the table. "We just got to town today. We're interns for the Preservation Society." Jake looked confused.

"The Preservation Society?" he asked. He directed the question directly to Ness, so she had to answer.

"Um, yeah, you know the mansions? We're working on restoring one of them as part of our grad school programs," she mumbled nervously.

"Wow, that's pretty cool," Royce interjected. "I've heard the Cliff Walk is a pretty good hiking trail. I wanted to check it out, but we haven't had much free time. We're here for Navy JAG School. I just graduated from Yale, and Jake came from Duke. Where do you go to school?" This question was ostensibly directed to the table, but he was looking at Rosalie. Serena was glowering now, unhappy to be ignored, and it was making Ness feel uncomfortable. She didn't want to alienate her new friend.

"Serena and I go to Columbia," Rosalie answered him, obviously also sensitive to Serena's expression. "So you guys don't look much like any lawyers I've met. Too young and too much hair!" she giggled, and Ness could tell she was enjoying the attention. Ness thought Royce seemed arrogant, and Emmett obviously didn't like him either. He continued to glare at the guy across the table.

"How about you, Ness?" Jake asked her. Ness was startled to hear him address her by name. He had angled his body and leaned in closer in an attempt to make it a private conversation. Ness felt butterflies in her stomach. He was really handsome up close, and obviously smart if he'd gone to law school, at Duke no less.

"Oh, um, I'm at Clemson. It's in South Carolina," she explained since not many people knew about it outside of the region. But Jake nodded.

"Sure, it's an ACC school, just like Duke. They were good this year in football. It was a shame about the USC game," he was actually making it pretty easy to talk to him. She started to relax.

"I don't really follow football much, but I know the campus had good energy this year," Ness admitted. Jake chuckled.

"I'm actually moving to South Carolina when I'm done here at the end of the summer," he told her. "I'm going to be stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort.

"Wow, that's a coincidence!" Ness exclaimed before her natural shyness overtook her again. Her accidental exuberance caused her to blush again. "The second year of my program is on the Charleston campus. Beaufort is pretty nearby," she finished more calmly.

Jake had achieved his mission of a private conversation. Ness had been distracted and only now realized that Serena and Rosalie were getting up from the table to follow Royce back over to the bar. They disappeared into the sea of white uniforms. Emmett stood resignedly and gestured with his head toward the door.

"Ness, I'm going to head back to the house. Are you okay, or do you want to walk with me?" he asked her. Ness could tell he felt uncomfortable leaving her alone with Jake. At least Rosalie and Serena were together.

"Oh, no Emmett, don't walk alone! I'll come with you," Ness insisted. Jake looked disappointed.

"Are you sure?" Emmett asked. Ness nodded vigorously. She admitted to herself that she actually wanted to stay and talk with Jake some more, but she just couldn't let her new roommate go home alone. Not to mention it might not be wise to hang out alone with a stranger after three beers.

"Yeah," Ness leaned down to grab her purse but furtively looked over at Jake to see his response. He caught her eye and gave her a tight smile.

"It was nice meeting you, Ness," he said. "Maybe we'll run into each other again. Odds are good that we'll be back in here before too long," he hinted. Ness wondered if she should offer her phone number or something. She admitted to herself that she really would like to see him again and talk a bit more. She stood silent probably longer than socially normal, but he didn't make any more definite offers for future interactions, so she decided to just say good-night.

"Yeah, hopefully we will. Enjoy the rest of your night," was all she managed.

"Nice to meet you, too, man." Jake gave Emmett the universal male nod. Emmett returned the gesture, and he and Ness moved toward the exit. Ness turned around to watch Jake rejoin the other JAG students at the bar. Rosalie and Serena were still surrounded by admirers. Rosalie turned in their direction, and Ness caught her attention with a wave, indicating they were leaving. Rosalie frowned, but returned the wave.

"C'mon, Emmett, let's go," Ness insisted, and they walked out into the darkened street. The ocean breeze made itself known, picking at her skirt and swirling around her legs. Ness crossed her arms across her chest against the cooling night air. Next time, she'd have to remember to bring a sweater. She was a long way from Atlanta, she mused. At first they walked in silence, and Ness noticed that Emmett seemed rather glum. She wondered if it had something to do with leaving Rosalie surrounded by military men.

"Sorry if I ruined your night," Emmett finally said. Ness turned to him in surprise.

"What do you mean? There wasn't any reason for me to stick around. I don't usually drink a lot, and the bar was getting really crowded. It wouldn't have been right to let you leave alone," she assured him. Emmett let out a short laugh.

"That guy seemed pretty in to you. You're the only reason he and his friend came over to the table. He was staring," Emmett told her knowingly. Ness wrinkled her forehead.

"Seriously? I mean, he didn't really try and stop me from leaving. Or make plans to see me again," Ness protested.

"That just means he wasn't looking for an easy lay," Emmett paused and frowned at his own accidental crassness. "Sorry. I just mean that he probably really hopes he'll see you again. He's willing to bide his time. Trust me, I'm a guy. I know these things," Emmett boasted. Ness remained quiet, lost in her thoughts as they continued to walk.

"Maybe," Ness said grudgingly after awhile. Emmett let out a sigh.

"I've met her before," he said apropos of nothing. Ness turned to look at him in confusion.

"Who?" she said, mystified. She'd only seen him down three beers, too.

"Rosalie," he answered with an edge, like she should have already known that.

"Sorry," Ness defended, but somewhat pleased to have her earlier suspicions confirmed. "I didn't realize that. She said she only knew Serena."

"I know," Emmett bemoaned. "That's what makes it so depressing. She doesn't remember me. She had a poster at the SAA meeting a few months ago. It was really interesting so I looked around for the author. There was some stuff about building edifices…anyway, I was stunned when I saw how beautiful she is. I didn't expect the face to go with the brain. She was really friendly, and I thought we hit it off. I was thrilled when I saw her name on the list for this summer. I feel like an idiot now. All day I was waiting for her to remember me, but she's obviously more interested in a bunch of lawyers," Emmett had his hands stuffed in the front pockets of his jeans, and his head was down. He kicked at a loose piece of broken sidewalk. Ness felt bad for him. She knew what it felt like to be forgotten on the sidelines.

"Emmett, you should just bring it up. She'd probably remember then. I think Rosalie _is_ a really friendly person," Ness advised. She re-thought her earlier musings. Maybe there wouldn't be a summer romance, simply an unrequited crush. In her opinion, Emmett was a much better choice than the arrogant Royce, but it was only the first day. Not to mention they were all here to work, not to vacation like the Cullen's of the past.

"Plus, we'll probably all be too busy to worry about any of this come Monday," she added. Emmett hummed his skeptical agreement. They had arrived back at the house by now, and Ness dreaded the mess she'd left in her room due to their hasty departure for dinner. Emmett stepped back gallantly with his arm extended for her to climb the step first. They bade each other goodnight in the darkened living room, and Ness closed the door to her room behind her.

She worked for over an hour to put her belongings away. She had her own dresser, but had to limit herself to half the closet. It was a tight squeeze; Rosalie had brought a lot of clothes it seemed. She organized her office supplies on the empty desk, and lastly put the sheets on the twin-sized bed that had been left for her. She had been pleasantly surprised to see that she and Rosalie both had quilt-style comforters that kind of matched, and at least complimented each other. It made sharing a bedroom that much less painful. Ness was an only child and had thought she was old enough that she wouldn't have to worry about sharing with anyone other than her future husband at this point.

She glanced at the clock and saw it was after 2 AM. Rosalie and Serena still weren't back. She hoped this wouldn't become a trend. If so, she might have to bring up switching into Serena's single. It had been a very long day, and Ness fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. She was awoken around 3:30 AM by a thump and a muttered curse as Rosalie tried to quietly get into bed. She wasn't very successful, and Ness wondered how much she'd ended up drinking. The thought was only fleeting though as she fell back asleep easily.

A/N: Some of the earliest pieces of the mystery were introduced in this chapter. But it really starts to get more interesting in the next one. Hang in there…

EG


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So, I have several chapters written but I don't want to post them all at once because then I'll be writing from chapter to chapter and can't guarantee a regular update schedule. But, I'm not getting a lot of hits or feedback (ie reviews), so I'm thinking people are waiting for more content before they invest any time.

So, what's a girl to do? It's a dilemma. So, here's at least another chapter after only a week's delay. And a few more bits and pieces of the mystery.

Chapter 2

1901

Isabella gazed out the window of her bedchamber at the sea. It was rough today, the white caps roiling in the wind, the usually sparkling blue water an angry greenish-gray. She had managed to steal a few moments alone between dress fittings and dancing lessons and was now seated on the bench in front of her dressing table. The natural beauty of the outdoors had distracted her from the rather plain image in the mirror before her. Her father was kind and often remarked how beautiful she was and how like her mother she was. But Isabella knew all too well how delusional her father could be.

Charles Swan was a rich and powerful man, but even he was not able to buck tradition and be with the woman he loved. Renee Higginbotham had been a housemaid, although he had tried to keep her as a mistress, he had been forced to marry in an effort to produce a Swan heir. Charles had returned to New York when the season ended, and Renee had stayed behind in Newport, banned from the Swan household by Charles' new wife. When Isabella had been born, Renee had been forced to take a winter job with a household in Washington, D.C., and Isabella had stayed behind with relatives. She had always been so happy when her mother returned to work in Newport in the summers.

Renee died when Isabella was eight years old, and her future seemed very bleak. There was already talk of sending her too assist the laundress at one of the big houses. However, the work never occurred because she was whisked away to school in France. Apparently her father had not forgotten her after all. He had been watching her from a far her whole life. She met him once when he enrolled her in school and did not see him again until she was fourteen. That was the year Susan Swan died. Isabella had been kept away in consideration of Mrs. Swan, but with her gone, Charles did not feel the need to continue in that vein. Supposedly, on her deathbed, Susan had encouraged Charles to bring his daughter home as his comfort. Isabella stayed in France, but Charles visited her often. She had grown fond of him over the last four years. She no longer felt like a play actress when she called him "Father" to his face.

Isabella sighed and returned her attention to the mirror. She was lucky to have pale, creamy skin and had always carried a parasol in the sun. The mistresses at school had made sure of it. However, her hair and eyes were dark, inherited from her mother's German ancestors. The Gardiner sisters had bright blonde hair that curled and coiffed perfectly with sparkling blue eyes. Isabella's hair was limp and tended to slide out of its pins. Her dress was fine and of the latest Parisian style, but no one would notice that.

And that was her first mistake, she admonished herself. She shouldn't compare herself to the Gardiner sisters. She was not their equal, no matter what her father said. She had pleaded with him against this idea of a debutant ball. She knew she would be the laughing stock of Newport, and maybe the entire United States. But he would not hear reason. Invitations would be sent, although replies would not be guaranteed. Despite the humiliation of having no guests at her ball, it would mean she would not have to perform under all those judging eyes. There would be no husband to be found. No one would want the daughter of a housemaid.

She had been so excited to return to Newport, where she had spent her happy childhood summers with her mother, but she should have known things would have changed beyond recognition with her new situation. She wished now she could have stayed at school in France, but the headmistress had told her she had already learned all they could teach her. There was nothing to do but go home with her father, and he had been eager to bring her. And he doted on her; she could not help be appreciate that. She had been apprehensive, however. She had been treated well by the teachers and other pupils at her school in France because they did not understand her situation and provenance. Here in Newport, there were no such secrets.

The door to her enormous bed chamber creaked open, and her maid Angela appeared behind her in the mirror.

"Miss Swan," she greeted politely with a curtsey, "your father would like to see you in his office." Isabella sighed and turned away from the mirror to face Angela, forcing a smile.

"Of course, Angela, I'll be right there," Isabella replied. Angela disappeared instantly from the room in the way servants are able, and Isabella rose to her feet. She made her way down the corridor and through the grand parlor at the top of main staircase. She had been given the second best room in the house opposite the twin chambers that were her father's and had been her step-mother's on the other side of the parlor. That room lay empty now and was not used as a guest chamber.

Isabella descended the curving marble staircase, always careful to hold onto the wrought iron railing, to the main receiving room of Swan Court. Her father's study was on the first floor at the end of the south corridor with a stunning view of the cliffs. From the south lawn, there was a breath-taking view of the bay as well as Cullen House which had its own island. In fact, the lone sailboat braving the rough waters this morning, Isabella had recognized as belonging to the Cullen's. Isabella knocked on the study door and waited for Charles' reply. "Come," he called, and she entered.

Charles was seated behind his ornately carved wooden desk and beamed at her as she entered. The office was paneled in dark wood, and the floors were covered with heavy Oriental carpet. He was holding a letter, which she could tell from across the room was expensive, heavy cream card stock. It was engraved, but she couldn't read it from where she stood.

"I know you have been concerned about the ball, and I wanted to put you at ease immediately," Charles began. Isabella smiled back at his enthusiasm but remained quizzical. Charles realized she did not have a context to his remark and excitedly explained further.

"I have a reply here from Esme Cullen. The Cullen family has sent their intention to attend your ball. They have two unmarried sons who will accompany them: Jasper and Edward Cullen."

2013

"Ness!" The muted whisper gently pulled her from slumber.

Ness awoke to a soft hand shaking her shoulder. She had slept soundly and briefly forgot where she was when she opened her eyes. The day before came rushing back quickly when she saw Rosalie perched on the edge of her bed still in her pajamas, a pink shortie set covered in small purple flowers. Her blond head was tangled, and her eyes were sleepy, but she looked remarkably untouched by her late night.

"Hi," Rosalie greeted shyly, "sorry for the late night. I hope I didn't disturb you when I came in. I tried not to turn on the light." Ness sat up and rubbed her eyes. She crossed her legs and rested her elbows on the blanket covering them.

"No, it was fine," Ness told her, clearing her throat when it came out rough with sleep. "Did you guys have a good time?" Rosalie smiled briefly.

"Sure, it was fun to hang out with all those Navy guys. They're definitely different than the history crowd!" Ness and Rosalie smiled together at the obvious understatement. "I don't plan on making a habit of staying out that late," Rosalie assured her, "but Royce did invite me to hang out again. And Jake asked me about you." Ness widened her eyes in surprise.

"He did?" she asked incredulously. "What did you say?" Rosalie shrugged, obviously not understanding the significance of such a handsome man inquiring after Ness.

"I had to admit I'd only known you for a few hours, so I couldn't really give him any info," she said frankly. "I just think he'd be pleased if you came with me next time I meet up with Royce." Ness thought briefly of Emmett's disappointed face last night.

"So, you're interested in him?" Ness asked. Rosalie shrugged again.

"I guess so. I mean, my ex-boyfriend and I broke up last Christmas, and I haven't really dated much since then, so why not?" She seemed pretty nonchalant.

"Anyway, that's not why I woke you up," Rosalie changed the subject. "It's just after nine o'clock, and there's an eleven o'clock service at Trinity Church. I was thinking of going, and I remembered you mentioned seeing the church today. Do you want to get up and come with me?" Ness was surprised that after her late night that Rosalie would consider a church service, but she was also touched that Rosalie was thoughtful enough to include her in the plans.

"That sounds great," Ness readily agreed, and Rosalie stood from the edge of her bed, allowing her to climb out from under the covers. Ness smoothed the blanket back up under the pillow in a half-hearted bed making attempt.

"I'll start some coffee," Rosalie offered, heading out into the hallway. "You can have the bathroom first." Ness entered the attached bathroom that the two girls would share this summer. She glanced out the window to see a gloomy cloud cover. Serena had mentioned the frequent morning fog but promised it burned off my midday most of the time.

Ness chose white capris with a blue peasant blouse to dress it up a bit. She wanted to look nice for church but still be comfortable for exploring the town afterwards. She added comfortable but dressy tan sandals and a cardigan, and then applied light make-up using the mirrored door of the closet. Rosalie had gone into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She left her hair loose, frowning slightly at the limpness of it compared to Rosalie's waves and Serena's curls.

The girls met in the living room a little after ten o'clock, and the house was still silent. Emmett's bedroom door was wide open and obviously empty, but Serena's door was still closed.

"The others weren't interested in coming?" Ness asked. Rosalie shrugged. Ness was learning this was a familiar gesture for her. It was at odds with her dainty sea foam colored sundress and ivory cardigan. Ness would learn that Rosalie preferred girly dresses when she wasn't dressed for a dig. Rosalie presented many contradictions.

"I think Emmett's at the university gym. He mentioned going there yesterday," Rosalie told her. "Serena's definitely still asleep, and I'm not stupid enough to try and wake her up!" Ness laughed a little, pleased that she was already learning her roommates' quirks and personalities only twenty-four hours after meeting them. It was clear that Serena was harmless but prickly.

Rosalie and Ness agreed to walk, both enjoying outdoor exercise. They talked a little about Atlanta while they walked, since Rosalie had an aunt who lived in Marietta and visited often. Rosalie was from Rochester, New York and had gone to Syracuse as an undergraduate. She had studied abroad in Europe during the summers and had a lot of experience on archeological sites, but she apparently prided herself on her abilities as a library researcher. She didn't come right out and say it, but she hinted that she had done a lot of research on the Cullen family in preparation for her summer job.

Ness found herself really enjoying Rosalie's company. She was friendly and lively and interesting. Ness had never really had a friend like that; most of her friends were more like herself, quiet and content to fade into the background. She decided to share a secret with Rosalie when they arrived at the church, and even invited her to walk with her along the Cliff Walk later in the afternoon provided the clouds did, in fact, burn off. Rosalie agreed readily.

They arrived at the lovely white church with time to spare, so they both spent some time gawking at the imposing white steeple before going inside. Despite the early hour, the pews were already quite full. Ness and Rosalie slid into a pew toward the back on the right side and scanned the room with worshipper's and historian's eyes. Trinity Church was an Episcopal church but had been founded as an Anglican congregation back in 1698. Ness had heard stories about the church since childhood since it had a special meaning between her mother and father.

The worship space was beautiful with white wooden columns and walls, all of it heavily carved. The pews weren't the usual carved wooden benches; they were box pews, more like separate cubicles with white wooden dividers between them. Box pews had been used to decrease the draft in the building, and warm boxes of embers or ash would be tucked under the seats to keep them warm. Each space could only hold about four people, although the upper balcony housed more traditional looking pews. It was all capped off with an exquisite stained glass window behind the altar.

Many famous Americans had attended church in this very sanctuary, and many of the cubicles were labeled with etched brass plaques identifying a family pew. George Washington himself was said to have attended church here. There were pews for the Vanderbilt's, the Astor's, the Gardiner's, and, of course, the Cullen's. The Cullen pew was the one Ness was interested in seeing. There was something there that she had long wanted to see and had decided to share with Rosalie.

The service was beautiful, and Ness was surprised to see the minister was a woman when she climbed the curving staircase into the pulpit. Her father had not gone to church regularly while growing up, but her mother had been a devout Methodist, so the family had gone to church at Emory's chapel almost every Sunday, since the school was a Methodist institution. She knew that both denominations endorsed female ministers but had never attended a church with one. The Reverend's sermon was poignant, and Ness vowed to come back often.

Ness and Rosalie lingered in their pew as the rest of the worshippers filed out at the end of the service. When the sanctuary was mostly empty, they stood and started to make their way toward the altar to better inspect the historical pews. A kind looking elderly woman stopped them.

"We're just about to start a tour. Are you ladies interested in joining?" she inquired. They both shook their heads politely and threw rye smiles at each other as the woman drifted toward the back to gather her tourists. Ness and Rosalie could probably give tours of the church themselves on the spot. Ness let her hand hover over the brass plaques as she passed each pew, not quite touching since she didn't want to smudge the shine. Rosalie was doing the same on the other side of the aisle. She let the names of the giants of American history wash over her.

"Ness," Rosalie called, interrupting her reverie, "here's the Cullen pew." Ness turned eagerly to read the plaque. Written in fancy etched script was, "Carlisle Cullen, Jasper Whitlock Cullen, Sr, and Jasper Whitlock Cullen, Jr worshipped in this pew with their families from 1873 until 1955." She had seen a similar plaque on another pew which announced Queen Elizabeth's attendance at a service. It floored her to think that her great-great-great, great-great, and great-grandfathers were worthy of the same attention as the Queen of England. But, now she had to search for what she came here to see.

Ness quickly opened the gate to the box pew and slid into the seat, all the way to the wall divider. The padded bench was upholstered in a rich blue, patterned fabric. She could hear the tour on the far side of the sanctuary and wanted to get this over before they could attract the attention of that group. The kneeler was folded up next to her feet, and she crouched down to lower it, just as her mother had told her. Rosalie was standing next to the open door to the box, watching Ness's action with confusion. When Ness tucked her head into the space between the kneeler and the hymnal storage box, she couldn't keep silent any longer.

"What are you doing?" she asked loudly. Ness lifted her head with a conspiratorial grin and motioned for Rosalie to crouch beside her.

"Hush," Ness admonished. "I don't want the tour group to get interested." Then she gestured to the carving in the wood she had discovered. It appeared to be graffiti. Ness ran her fingers over it reverently, and Rosalie read aloud in a low voice, wondering what this was all about. There seemed to be two names etched into the wood in the same handwriting.

"Renee. Esme. How did you know this was here?" Rosalie asked. "What does it mean?" Ness laughed.

"I don't know what it means," she admitted, "but my parents saw it when they were vacationing here during residency. My mom liked the two names and thought it was a sign they were carved together in the Cullen pew. So, they named me after it," Ness explained simply. She was pleased to have found the carving and proud to share it with Rosalie. They settled back on the pew, and Ness lifted the kneeler back into the up position.

"Renesmee!" Rosalie exclaimed, "Of course, that's so neat!" Then, she seemed to lose herself in thought, tapping at her chin. "Esme," she muttered to herself and was quiet, her lips pursed, and her eyes rolled up toward the white carved ceiling and brass light fixtures. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers.

"Esme Cullen was Carlisle Cullen's wife, so she was your great-, great-, great-grandmother. But who was Renee?" Ness nodded. She hadn't realized that Esme was Carlisle's wife exactly, but had known Esme had been a Cullen family name. Renee was the mystery. Apparently, her mother had tried to find a reference to a Renee in the Cullen family histories when she had seen the carving, but had never located it. She said as much to Rosalie. Rosalie pursed her lips again. Ness was to learn that this was her thinking face.

"Renee, Renee, Renee," Rosalie mused. "I can't recall anyone by that name in any of the research I've done. I'll see what I can turn up." Then she smiled and gave Ness a slight shove to her upper arm, causing her to bump into the wall divider.

"I can't believe you don't like your name. It has such a cool back story," she chided. Ness laughed.

"It's just so unusual, and nobody can pronounce it right. Ness is just easier," she defended.

"Just for that, I should start calling you Renesmee," Rosalie threatened.

"Oh, please don't," Ness pleaded. Rosalie just rolled her eyes.

"We'll see," she said.

Thanks for reading. Drop me a review if you feel so inclined…

EG


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing. Still not a whole lot of interest…is it really boring? Let me know if it is, and if it's not, then tell someone about this story!

Chapter 3

2013

Ness and Rosalie spent several hours exploring the shops of downtown Newport, even grabbing a sandwich from a small deli for lunch. Many of the shops were tourist traps with loud slogan t-shirts, but there were also a few nice dress shops. Rosalie tried on a few dresses, and Ness found a pair of sandals she liked, but they both agreed that purchasing souvenirs on the first day of their time in Newport was poor resource management.

Ness was dismayed when she saw the clock over the stove when they arrived back at the house. It was much later than she expected, and she wasn't sure they would have time to make the Cliff Walk that afternoon. Serena was watching TV in the living room when they walked in.

"Where have you guys been? I've been bored to tears," she admonished them before they'd even put down their purses.

"Sorry, Serena, but you were asleep when we left for church. I didn't think you'd want me to wake you up," Rosalie explained.

"You've been at church this whole time?" Serena asked incredulously. It was almost five o'clock. "Where did you go?"

"We went to Trinity Church and then wandered around downtown for awhile. I guess we lost track of time," Rosalie said breezily and headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Serena was looking at her, so Ness remained standing awkwardly in the middle of the entryway. She found Serena too intimidating to dismiss her as easily as Rosalie did.

"Did you enjoy the church?" Serena asked, and Ness nodded.

"The minister was really good, and it was nice to see some of the woodwork, even if it is mostly restored," Ness said lamely. Serena seemed bored by her and turned back to the television.

"I toured it, of course, last year," she said dismissively, "but I'm Catholic, so I don't go to services there." Ness felt dismissed and cursed her social awkwardness. Just then, Rosalie saved her by returning to the room.

"So, Ness, I think we still have time to do part of the Cliff Walk. The sun won't set until almost eight o'clock, so it shouldn't be a problem. Serena, do you want to come with us?" Serena briefly glanced at them before declining, saying that she was having dinner with her brother.

"I'll have to introduce you guys to him at some point. You'll probably run into him over at Cullen House when we're working," Serena said. "That woman is so lying…" she said, her attention back to the television, apparently engrossed in some new episode of Celebrity Ghost Stories. Ness and Rosalie left her to go change clothes. They had both read that some parts of the path were in disrepair and required some clamoring over rock piles. Athletic shoes were definitely in order. Ness put on running shorts and a t-shirt and tied a hoodie around her waist. It was still pretty warm, but she figured it would cool off again when the sun got lower, like it had last evening.

The girls set off toward the northern starting point for the Cliff Walk. It was only about a mile from their house, and they decided to hike as far as Swan Court, if not further, time depending. It was after five thirty, and the sun was still far from setting, but a bank of clouds just off shore threatened to hide it.

Ness was glad she'd brought the sweatshirt and put it on immediately as the breeze off the water was stronger than she'd expected. They made their way along the narrow path admiring the sweeping vistas and plunging cliffs. They passed several of the famous mansions, admiring the hulking buildings from the public walkway. Some of the houses were also museums, maintained by other entities than the NCPS. Ness considered this a quick overview; she could decide which ones were her highest priority visiting spots from today's outing.

Sure enough, Ness and Rosalie were forced to scramble over some rocks, even on hands and knees a few times before they'd been going long. Ness knew that some of the homeowners who still lived along this stretch, encouraged the disrepair of the pathway because it kept trespassers away from their properties. She guessed she couldn't really blame them, but the care they were forced to take with their progress was making this hike take much longer than either girl had expected.

Unfortunately, they had not reached Swan Court when the cloud bank began to descend in earnest on the coast of the peninsula. The path was not lit, and it felt a little eerie to Ness, but she was sorely disappointed not to have made it to her goal. She felt an almost irrational desire to see the view of Cullen House. Rosalie stopped walking.

"Should we keep going?" she asked Ness skeptically. Ness frowned and considered their options.

"We're almost there. It's a shame to stop now. Plus, there's an access path to Bellevue Avenue by Rough Point, just past Swan Court. We can cross back over and walk back up the street. It's definitely not as scenic but won't be as dangerous in the fog," Ness suggested hopefully. She really wanted to keep going. She was kind of surprised at her assertiveness. She usually just went along with the crowd, but she felt strangely set on this. Rosalie pursed her lips, and then shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, let's do it," she agreed, and they resumed walking. Luckily, the path was now wide, level, and paved. The fog continued to lower, infiltrating the air around them and soon it was almost as dark as night. Rosalie roamed ahead, intent on a stone pillar that seemed to have served as a gate post for an old beach path. Ness realized they had reached Swan Court, and she paused to look up at the great house.

It was smaller than many of the other Newport Mansions but still on a grand scale. It was a Victorian wooden structure, painted a slate grayish blue with a darker blue trim around the windows and under the sharp peaked roof. A wide lawn stretched between where Ness stood and the house's back stone patio. She saw no lingering tourists and figured it was closed for business for the day. Her eyes were drawn to the upstairs windows, and she wondered what the people who lived behind those bedchamber windows had been like. She was surprised at this train of thought since her area of expertise was the building itself, and she hadn't given much thought to the people behind the structure before.

Ness wracked her brain to recall the details of the family who had lived here. If she remembered correctly, it had been built in the 1870s and had been one of the first mansions acquired as a public trust in the 1930s when its owner had died a childless widower. She scrunched her forehead in concentration, thinking of the name. She thought it was Charles. Charles Swan, she decided.

Ness turned away from the house and made her way to the edge of the path and a low stone wall which separated it from a long plunge to the heaving water below. She threw her legs over the wall and sat down, facing the water. It was here that she caught her first glimpse of Cullen House.

The island was heavily wooded, so most of the house was hidden. She could see the slate tiled roof, though, and at least ten chimneys. That meant the house was large, although she already knew that. The front of the house faced in the opposite direction, toward the east. There was a small dock on the north side of the island which had once been a grand marina housing sailboats and yachts in Carlisle Cullen's day. A formal garden, now in disrepair, had lain between the house and the west lawn, where she was currently looking. There also appeared to be a small, sandy beach area on the western edge of the island closest to her. She wondered if the Cullen's had gone bathing there, or if they'd come to the mainland for that.

It was quiet and still, and she was enjoying the atmosphere created by the fog. She felt Rosalie come and stand beside her on her right side, but she didn't turn to look at her. Rosalie was quiet too, maybe lost in her own thoughts. She caught a glimpse of a light winking on the beach area of the island that she had been studying. It was odd because, even though, it was far away, she thought she would have noticed someone walking there. Rosalie sighed next to her. Ness started to turn her head to see if she was ready to leave, when someone called her name from her left side far down the path.

"Ness, isn't it a great view? Have you seen all you needed? I think we should go, it's getting pretty dark," Rosalie's voice wafted toward her from a ways away. The hair prickled on the back of Ness's neck, and she quickly whipped her head around to see who was standing next to her. She thought she saw a strand of dark brown hair floating on the wind out of the corner of her eye, but soon realized she was alone where she sat. There was no one else here, and nowhere someone could have gone. She looked back at the Cullen's island, and the light on the beach was gone as well.

Ness jumped back over the low wall onto the path and hugged her arms around her body. She felt nervous now, and she hurried down the path to meet Rosalie, away from Swan Court. Rosalie was smiling and going on about the historical significance of the gate post, but Ness couldn't shake the feeling something out of the ordinary had just happened. But she couldn't articulate it, so she decided not to mention it to Rosalie. The two new friends headed back to Bellevue Avenue and the walk back to their house. By the time, they'd arrived back home, Ness had put the incident out of her mind. Tomorrow was her first day on the job, and she had more important things to worry about.

1901

Edward stood in the foyer of Swan Court, staring down at the black and white tiled floor. His father and mother stood arm in arm behind the footman, waiting patiently to make their grand entrance after he announced the Cullen family's presence. Jasper turned to look at him questioningly.

"Why are you lagging behind?" Jasper asked in a hissed whisper. "Get up here! We are doing this for Mother," he insisted. Edward raised his eyes from the floor to meet Jasper's. He noted absently that Jasper looked extremely dapper in his evening dress, the black coat nipping in at the waist before cascading down into dramatic tails. His blond hair was slicked back with pomade and his mustache was also oiled and perfectly straight above his lips. Edward assumed he looked just as good in his own evening suit and did not consider it vain that he thought so. The brothers had finished a session with their tailor from New York only yesterday. However, Edward knew that the electric lights that bathed the room in a soft glow would highlight the odd copper sheen of his own hair despite the pomade. He had inherited a mix of his father's blonde hair and his mother's warm brown. Edward did not have a mustache and thought they were ridiculous no matter what fashion dictated. Edward sighed and took his place at Jasper's side behind their parents as the footman called out:

"Mr. and Mrs. Carlisle Cullen, accompanied by Mr. Edward and Mr. Jasper Cullen!"

The Cullens entered the ballroom, which Edward noted was much smaller than the one at Cullen House. However, it was richly appointed with mirrored paneling on the walls to make the room seem larger and gold painted wooden moldings. There were strategically placed candles that augmented the electric light. His family was fashionably late, and the room was already crowded with party-goers. His mother had been absolutely right; if the Cullens agreed to attend Charles Swan's daughter's ball, then the rest of Newport society would not be able to stay away. His parents stepped forward to greet the awaiting Charles Swan.

Edward saw a group of his peers gathered at one end of the dance floor. They were laughing and enjoying their cocktails. He saw a server headed in their direction, laden with a tray of fresh drinks. He was impatient to get the pleasantries and social requirements out of the way so he could join them and distract himself for the rest of the evening. This entire event was a sad farce in his mind anyway. A glass of champagne was just what he needed.

Carlisle had finished shaking Charles' hand and was stepping away. Edward watched his mother step close to the man, giving him a brief embrace. She leaned in and whispered something close to his ear. The two shared a long look, and Edward assumed this was about the dead wife, who had been his mother's close friend. When Esme stepped away, Edward realized that she had been blocking his view of Charles' daughter who was standing next to him. Esme turned to smile and nod at the girl, and once again Edward lost his view of her. Jasper had already heartily shaken Charles Swan's hand and was now bent over the young lady's hand. Edward caught a glimpse of white and turned his attention to Mr. Swan.

Charles Swan was a somewhat intimidating man. He was tall and broad-shouldered with dark hair, swarthy skin, and dark eyes. It was rumored that he might have some Italian heritage but he maintained that his background was Scottish. He had a dark curving mustache which was perfectly oiled, and even Edward had to admit it lent an authority to the man. Tonight Charles Swan was impeccable in his evening suit. It had the usual white shirt, white waist coat, dark tail coat and pants, but he was sporting a flamboyant black silk strip down the sides of his pants tonight. Edward assumed given the situation that this was probably the latest in French fashion. Mr. Swan gripped his hand firmly in a shake and looked him in the eye.

"Good evening, Sir," Edward said formally. Charles released both his hand and his gaze.

"Welcome to my home. Enjoy the evening," was the conventional response. Edward turned to greet the young lady. He felt nothing but pity for her and had resolved to be as kind as possible no matter how opposed he was to attending this ball. However, his breath caught in his throat when he saw her.

Isabella Swan stood very close and slightly behind her father, almost as if she would like to disappear from view. Her eyes were cast down at the shoes peeking from underneath her dress. She seemed very uncomfortable. But, as Edward stood frozen in front of her, this was not what caused him to pause. This was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Her dark hair was piled in a complicated design on top of her head. A few strands curled free around her face, and he longed to reach out and stroke them. Her pale skin was like porcelain with a faint pink to her cheeks that owed nothing to cosmetics and everything to her embarrassment at being the center of attention. As he continued to stand awkwardly in front of her, his hand half extended to take her fingers, she raised her eyes to his. They were dark, bottomless pools framed by dark lashes, and he could feel himself falling into them. Her mouth was a pink rosebud, and her expression changed to one of confusion as she registered his gaze upon those lips.

Edward forced himself out of this haze and took the fingers of her right hand in his, bending low over her hand. He internally groaned as her cheeks pinked further. He could barely control himself in the face of this enchanting creature.

"Good evening, Miss Swan," he murmured, forcing his eyes away from her face in an effort to collect his thoughts.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Cullen," she replied, her voice so low it was almost a whisper. With his eyes off her face, Edward noticed her dress. It was white, as a debutante dress should be, but it was adorned with crystals and sequins in a way not typical of such gowns he had seen in the past. And there was something curious about the corset; it curved in an S-shape emphasizing the shape of her posterior. It was his turn to blush when he realized which part of her anatomy he had been studying. He ripped his eyes away, no longer sure if there was a safe place at all to direct his gaze when he was around Isabella Swan.

"Er…I hope you will allow me a dance at some point this evening," Edward heard himself saying. He shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. He had not meant to say that, in fact, he had resolved to stay away from this unfortunate girl after a brusque but polite greeting. Things were not going as he had planned at all. Isabella seemed just as surprised as he at his words.

"Oh…um…I mean…of course…yes, there will be dancing. It is a ball," she stuttered and blushed even darker, dropping her eyes to floor once more. It was so lovely; Edward had to clench his fists to keep from reaching out and touching her cheek. He had to do something to salvage this evening! He was behaving deplorably with an absolutely unsuitable woman. And now he'd be forced to dance with her.

"Excuse me," he ground out and walked away without a backward glance. He forced his breathing and heart rate to slow. He jerked a flute of champagne off a passing tray and searched for Jasper. He spotted him almost immediately making his way rapidly toward a group of young ladies clustered at the other end of the dance floor from the gentlemen. Married couples mingled in between the two groups, and Edward saw his mother looking at him oddly.

He contemplated joining Jasper but soon abandoned that idea when he recognized Alice Brandon amongst the group. Jasper was lost to him for the rest of the evening. Edward would not be surprised by an engagement between the two before the end of the summer, the way his brother had been talking lately. Edward sighed and began to make his way toward the group of young men who were growing more boisterous by the minute. Hopefully, dinner would be announced before too much longer.

Before he could make it very far, he felt a small but insistent hand snake its way familiarly around his forearm. He turned to see three well-recognizable figures, dressed in their finest. Edward had grown up around the Gardiner sisters. He and Jasper had often been thrown together with Tatiana, Catherine, and Irene Gardiner as children given the close business relationship between their fathers. He knew his mother had never cared for Alexandra Gardiner, feeling her to be a hard and cruel woman. Unfortunately as the girls had gotten older, they seemed to be taking more and more after their mother. Edward had felt pressure from his father over the last several years to consider one of the Gardiner sisters as a possible future wife, but he could not stomach the idea.

It was Tatiana who held his arm now. She was the oldest, only one year younger than he. Edward thought she behaved in a forward way at times, which was one of the things he disliked about her. She was undeniably beautiful with thick blonde hair, large blue-green eyes, and a petite figure. She carried herself with grace and confidence, and Edward knew she would one day command a great household…just not his. He subtly removed his forearm from underneath her palm.

Tatiana was becomingly attired in a light green gown which almost matched her eyes, but Edward thought the décolletage could have been a bit more modest. There was a pink and yellow pattern embroidered onto the green fabric of the dress and heavy ruffles covered her elbows to the end of her white gloves. There were jewels artfully arranged in her blonde hair. She batted her eyelashes at him coquettishly.

Tatiana's sisters hovered just behind her. Irene had darker blond hair when compared with her older sister and was dressed in yellow accented with gray this evening. Her attention was not on Tatiana and Edward, but on Jasper and Alice Brandon across the room. Irene and Jasper were the same age, and she had made no secret of the fact that she admired him. Now, her eyes were narrowed at the petite dark haired beauty by Jasper's side, and Edward felt distinct pity for Miss Brandon. Catherine was watching the exchange between him and her sister with a worried expression. She was two years younger than Jasper, and the only sister who seemed to have any semblance of a kind heart. Catherine's hair was as pale as Tatiana's but her eyes were a darker blue which were set off nicely by her pale blue gown.

"Edward, can you believe all this?" Tatiana asked in derisive but excited tone. "We were shocked that your family agreed to attend this sham of a ball. But, Father said if your father condoned it, then we would tolerate it for his sake," she gave a short, disbelieving laugh. She reached for Edward's arm again, but he stepped to the side to avoid her. If she noticed, she gave no indication. "And did you see her gown? Her elbows are showing under those ridiculous shoulder poufs. It's positively scandalous, not appropriate for a coming out at all." Tatiana now dissolved in peals of laughter. "I guess it suits its wearer!"

Edward glanced back at Isabella Swan. He had also noticed something strange about the dress, but his instinct was to defend her from Tatiana. In fact, he yearned to cross the room, wrap her in his arms, and hide her from all the petty gossip surely swirling in this room. Once again, he shook his head to clear it of the inappropriate thoughts. He, of all people, could not be Isabella Swan's protector.

Tatiana was smiling, an edge of cruelty evident in her expression. She was obviously waiting for Edward to take up her malicious thread. He was relieved with Catherine spoke up.

"Tatiana, we are guests in her father's home," she reminded her older sister softly. Tatiana scoffed at her.

"We shouldn't be here at all. The girl's mother was a servant. Her father is a fool for thinking someone respectable will marry her." While her vitriol was technically true, she was going too far in speaking so frankly in such a setting. Edward took a step away, and Tatiana's forehead creased in confusion. She thought she had an ally.

"Ladies, always a pleasure to see you, if you'll excuse me, I need to attend to something before dinner is served," he made his apologies and turned toward the group of young men. Now Tatiana's eyes narrowed in fury. She was not used to being dismissed. He knew he would have to ask her to dance later, or she would make things very uncomfortable for him. Where the thoughts of twirling with and touching Isabella made his chest clench, the same thoughts of Tatiana made his stomach turn.

As Edward approached the group of men, a raucous guffaw erupted from the cluster. Edward rolled his eyes at his poor luck tonight. Apparently James Hunter was also in attendance, and Edward loathed him and his social-climbing ways. Mr. Hunter had made his fortune in mining, moving to New York from Nevada once he'd amassed enough money to buy himself a society position. He was what Esme would have referred to as "new money," quite the terrible insult. Edward wondered what made his mother willing to tolerate Isabella's unfortunate social standing while she openly scoffed when Mr. Hunter had come to town.

Edward was welcomed into the circle. Garrett Vanderbilt gave him a hearty pat on the back, and Peter Astor reached across to shake his hand. He quickly discovered the men were trading stories about automobiles and racing. James Hunter alternated between outlandish bragging over his own driving prowess and fawning over Edward like they were long lost brothers. It was quite tiresome for many reasons, not least of which was Edward's preference for sailing. He was relieved when the footman announced dinner was served. Edward seemed to be having trouble following the conversation, and he couldn't understand why his eyes kept straying across the ballroom towards the spot where Isabella Swan stood with her father.

Hope to see you in two more weeks!

EG


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So, here we are with another chapter. I tend to think this is where things get interesting, but I'd love to hear what you guys think. Without more ado…

Chapter 4

1901

As far as Isabella was concerned the evening was a wretched failure. She knew her father was well-pleased with the large turn-out and was quite optimistic that any number of suitors would result, but she knew otherwise and felt quite humiliated. As she had feared, her dress was all wrong. She had overheard some of the other girls whispering about it. Tatiana Gardiner had been the ringleader. How Isabella disliked that girl! In all honesty, they hadn't even been trying to keep quiet.

She shouldn't have been swayed by the French designer and should have insisted that her father find her an American dress. While Isabella did think her gown was beautiful, it was apparently too fashion forward for this type of gathering. It might be the epitome of French design right now, and probably all the girls would have one just like it next season, but that didn't help her now. No one would remember her as a trend-setter, only that she had made a faux pas with her attire tonight.

Oh, who was she fooling? It wasn't just the dress. She had been painfully reminded of where she stood when _he_ walked in. Edward Cullen was easily the most beautiful man she had ever seen. His features were chiseled, and his hair had the most beautiful cast. It shone under the lights as if it had been bronzed. His eyes were his best feature. They were large and green, and she felt as if they were looking straight into her soul when he looked at her. She had momentarily thought they had made a connection, but he had dropped his eyes away from her as if burned just as quickly as their eyes met. He had clearly not felt the shock that she had when he touched her hand. Their skin had been separated by the material of her glove, and the sensation was clearly in her mind alone. He had asked her to dance, but he had stayed far away from her all evening, and the party would be over soon.

Isabella sighed and shivered. She had slipped through a hidden servant's access door from the ballroom and now huddled on a side flagstone terrace. It was dark, and she couldn't see the water, but the sound of the waves breaking was soothing to her. The main terrace was now filled with overflowing party guests, and she could hear their laughter and see the lights spilling around the corner of the house. No one noticed that she was gone because no one had really come to see her, only gawk at her notoriety. Isabella folded her arms across the front of her body in a gesture that her governess hated and called common. Well, she _was_ common.

Isabella's attention was on the sound of the waves so she didn't see the figure round the corner of the house into her hiding spot until it was too late. Hidden as she was in the shadows she wasn't visible to the interloper until he crashed directly into her.

"Ooomph!" breathed the stranger and let out a low curse. Isabella was too busy trying to stay upright to be offended by the dreadful language. Warm, strong hands grasped her by the arms to steady her. His fingers brushed the exposed skin of her elbows, and Isabella felt lit aflame. Maybe this was what an electric current felt like, she wondered dazedly. And she knew before she even saw his face the identity of her assailant come rescuer. The sensation was much stronger skin to skin than it had been though her glove.

"Miss Swan, my apologies! Are you hurt? Why are you here alone in the shadows? Shall I fetch your father?" Edward Cullen queried her in alarm. Isabella stepped away, eager to regain her dignity and pondered how best to answer him.

"No, sir, I am quite well," she assured him. And she believed she was well. In fact, she could almost die happy having had his fingers on her skin for that one short instant. But it wouldn't do to say so, and there was no way he would return her feelings anyway. It was best to get the interaction over with. "The crowd is a bit overwhelming, and I sought some fresh air. That is all. I will return to my father's guests now." She moved to go past him back into the house the way she had come. But he frowned and blocked her way.

"Well, that I can understand," he told her. "I don't enjoy large groups either. In fact, I stepped away for a bit of solitude myself. I did not mean to intrude, please excuse me." He made a short bow at the end of this speech and turned to go back to the main terrace. Isabella's hand shot out without her permission and grasped his sleeve.

"No, you don't have to leave. I will go back inside. I'm the one being rude," she told him, while trying to convince herself that she wasn't just attempting to prolong their time together. Edward's brow crinkled in confusion when she made no move to go, and she knew she was fooling no one. All at once the stress of the evening engulfed her, she felt the tears forming. She fought them desperately, taking deep breaths and watched as Edward's expression changed from confused to alarmed.

"I will find your father," he exclaimed hurriedly but she managed to choke out a response to prevent him.

"No, please don't do that. He's enjoying the party, basking in what he thinks is success. I don't want to ruin it for him," she pleaded. Isabella managed to compose herself and wiped the tears off her cheeks surreptitiously. She had already humiliated herself in front of this beautiful man. She might as well call a spade a spade. Edward froze and stared at her, obviously uncomfortable with her candor.

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully. Isabella smoothed the front of her dress and tried to be nonchalant. She looked away from Edward lest his handsomeness confuse her thoughts, gazing into the darkness where the waves broke.

"I've heard the gossip," she told him simply. "I know what the Gardiner sisters are saying, and most of it is true. I should have stayed in France. There, I was not such a scandal. But, my father is a lonely and stubborn man. I could not refuse him. I thought I could stay with him and take care of him, but he has ideas about an heir. I fear he will be sorely disappointed when reality sets in." Isabella wanted to clamp her hand over her mouth. The gossip would be much worse once he reported to his friends what she had just told him. Edward was quiet for a minute but made no move to leave.

"So, you were against the idea of the ball? Your father insisted?" he asked somewhat disbelievingly. His tone rankled. She realized he must think of her as an opportunist and that stung.

"Of course, I was against the idea," she snapped before she could help herself and immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, sir, that was uncalled for." Isabella made the mistake of raising her eyes to his face in an effort to convey sincerity. His green eyes were on her face, probing her painfully.

"Quite all right," he murmured. "This must all be very trying for you." He said it like he understood, and Isabella was struck dumb in surprise. His eyes entranced and confused her. Surprise turned to astonishment when he reached for her gloved hand. "Isabella, I believe you promised me a dance this evening. Shall we?"

With that, he led her around the house to the main terrace and back through the ballroom doors. The band had just begun a waltz, and Isabella allowed herself to be guided onto the dance floor. They began to dance, and Isabella was certain that she must be dreaming. She was in the arms of the handsomest man in the room, and his eyes were intently trained on her face, almost as if he were interested in her. She could feel the eyes of all the guests on the two of them and heard the chatter taper off. But she couldn't find it in her to be embarrassed or care about the attention.

Isabella allowed her mind to bask in the moment and lost herself in the music, but just for a few minutes. She forced herself back to reality as the waltz was ending. Edward Cullen was just being kind. He had a future most likely with one of the Gardiner sisters; he was too good for someone like her, and she just had to accept that.

Edward had begun to drink heavily. He stood alone, leaning against the wall of the ballroom far from the dance floor. He had already received a warning glance from his father, and Jasper had torn himself away from Alice Brandon long enough to ask him what was going on. Edward had shrugged and requested another glass of whiskey from a passing waiter. Jasper had given up and left him to his brooding mood.

Those few minutes dancing with Isabella had been exhilarating. She was beautiful and fit so perfectly in his arms. He had just forgotten who he was and enjoyed himself with her, time suspended. Of course, reality had set in once the waltz finished, and he had to once again face the fact that Isabella was not for him. He almost wished he'd never run into her on the shadowy terrace; he'd seen her selfless and tender nature and knew she was just as special inside as outside. He knew he shouldn't have done what he did, but in that moment he just wanted to make her feel better, feel wanted and important, and chase away her tears. But now he couldn't get her out of his mind.

The second they had finished their dance, James Hunter had descended upon them. In his relentless attempt to mimic the established families, he had immediately requested the next dance with Isabella. Edward had not liked the look in his eyes as they roamed impertinently over her face and body. He had not liked the way his hand clutched at her hip as they began to dance. And they had danced a second time. That dance was the reason he was now on the other side of the room drowning his sorrows.

Edward's attention had improved things for Isabella. She had danced a few other dances after James, even one with Jasper. She had been seated with a glass of punch brought by her father after several dances, and Alice Brandon had approached her. Edward had watched the two of them chatting. Really, it had been Alice speaking while Isabella smiled and listened, but it had been kind of the girl, and Edward liked her more for it. A few other ladies had joined the conversation before long. Edward thought Isabella might even be enjoying herself a little bit. He had seen a beautiful smile grace her features briefly, and the effect had stunned him.

But, then James Hunter had asked her to dance again. Edward had happened to glance across the room and saw Charles Swan watching the couple dance. He was beaming and obviously quite pleased with the turn of events. That moment was a cold knife to Edward's heart because he realized all of a sudden that this was a suitable match. James Hunter had a large fortune but no family name to speak of. There were rumors of improper behavior in the rough mining towns of Nevada, but that was behind him now. Isabella had a name, but it was sullied with scandal. The two of them had few prospects but together they could possibly live a life of privilege and comfort. The thought made him literally sick, but he knew he should not care about Isabella Swan. Both realizations led him to his current sorry state.

"They make a perfect couple, don't they?" A snide and unpleasant voice disrupted his reverie and forced his eyes away from the brown liquid in his glass. Tatiana Gardiner had found him and was leaning towards his ear to deliver these quiet but caustic words. She had tilted her head in what he was sure she considered a beguiling manner. He sighed and felt years older than his age.

"Who do you mean, Tatiana?" he asked resignedly. He would never get away from her now so he might as well try and salvage the evening. Tatiana giggled and moved closer, obviously deeming her flirtation a success.

"Isabella and James Hunter, of course," she answered. "I should have thought of it myself. Marrying those two off would be serendipitous, but they would throw the worst parties. Who would they invite? Servants and miners?" she wrinkled her perfect, little nose and grimaced in horror at the thought. Edward cringed internally at the image Tatiana conjured, quickly losing patient with the silly girl. But she wasn't done with him.

"So, Edward, you promised me a dance earlier, and I plan to collect," she purred seductively. Edward winced at her forwardness. Her mother claimed to be related to the Czar, but she was certainly teaching her daughters manners that were far from royal. But he didn't resist her. He had only danced with Isabella tonight, and if that was all he did, it could start people talking. He was almost glad Tatiana had stumbled upon him because he hadn't been in the frame of mind to work this out for himself.

He led Tatiana onto the dance floor and began to twirl her to the music. He spotted Isabella and James almost immediately and felt his heart leap into his throat at the idea they had danced three times. That was telling and was practically tantamount to a public admission of courting. He tried to catch her eye as he and Tatiana moved past, but she seemed to be looking everywhere but at him. Tatiana's hand slid up his arm familiarly, and she was whispering something in his ear, but Edward let his mind go blank and thought nothing more.

2013

Serena had been right about the first day of the internship. The morning had passed in a blur of paperwork and lectures, and Ness had yet to leave the main offices at the Osgood-Pell House. Although the topics had been somewhat tedious and introductory, Ness was getting more and more excited about the summer. Sitting through the lectures made it seem more real somehow that she was here. She had started out with a large group, but the last hour had been spent with a NCPS-affiliated architectural historian and the only other member of her intern class who specialized in that field, a young woman named Jennifer. The last lecture had actually devolved into a lively discussion of Victorian window treatments, and Ness was smiling when Shelley Cope had stuck her head into the small room to advise them it was time for lunch.

The interns all gathered in a room with a large boardroom style table. There were boxed lunches of sandwiches and chips, waiting for them. Serena had also told them not to be fooled by the largess of the first day. They'd be on their own for lunch the rest of the summer. Ness grabbed a box and settled next to Rosalie and Emmett. Serena, as a rare second year intern, had not been required to attend the basic activities this morning. Ness was sure she was off somewhere with her brother, whom she and the rest of the roommates had yet to meet. Ness wondered if Serena was out on Cullen Island right now and felt a stab of jealousy.

The afternoon would be dedicated to research as the interns tried to suss out a more detailed topic for their summer projects. Most of the historical documents had been digitized but NCPS had a private archive only available to interns and employees that Ness was dying to see. She had been told that there were copies of the original architectural plans, receipts for materials, and contracts with workers all from Cullen House construction and remodels over the years. She would educate herself today and see the house tomorrow.

Ness and Rosalie entered the computer lab on the second floor after lunch. Emmett and the other artisan interns were touring homes this afternoon. There were two rows of carrels with network computers in each one, one for each of the eight interns. Ness got to work right away, popping her iPhone ear buds into her ears. Time passed quickly and before she knew it, it was five o'clock and time to go. She saved her notes, powered off her laptop, and slid it back into her bag.

Rosalie was lagging behind, still staring at something on the archive pages. She had put her laptop away but seemed to be re-reading something. Ness paused and waited for her at the end of the row. They were walking to the same place, so it made no sense for her to leave Rosalie behind. Finally, Rosalie packed up her things and joined Ness in walking out the front of Osgood-Pell. She seemed energized and excited about something, but didn't speak until they were on the sidewalk away from everyone else.

"I think I'm onto something big for my project," Rosalie began once they were a short distance down the road. "And I stumbled onto something sordid in your family's past," she said this last part teasingly, but it was obvious she was keyed up. Her eyes were darting furtively around. Ness said nothing, just raised her eyebrows. She could tell Rosalie wanted to tell her the details, but needed to build some drama. So, Ness waited patiently for it to come out.

"Did you know you had an infamous killer in the family?" she asked. Ness stopped walking and turned to her incredulously. This was definitely part of the family lore to which she had not been privy.

"Who?" Ness asked, mystified.

"So, you didn't know?" Rosalie confirmed. Ness shook her head, getting a little impatient for the tale. "So, it may not be common knowledge. All the better for me…" Rosalie muttered to herself.

"Rose!" Ness interrupted her internal musings, and Rosalie's eyes snapped back to hers.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly. "Okay, here's the deal. I found a series of letters written between Jasper and Alice Cullen before they were married. They were your great-great-grandparents, right?" Ness quickly did the math in her head and agreed.

"Anyway, the summer they met, which was 1901, they wrote each other letters almost every day. It was quite a feat back then, you know? Kind of like email nowadays," Rosalie mused. "They're really sweet, but I'm not sure if anyone has ever really read them as anything other than just love letters."

"What did you find? And how does this relate to my latent criminal genes?" Ness joked with her. She was starting to get excited too; Rosalie's enthusiasm was rubbing off.

"So, one letter from Jasper talks about a gazebo that was being built on a strip of sand to be used as a private beach. Jasper had been meeting Alice at Bailey's Beach, and he was excited to invite her out to bathe at the new beach once the gazebo was finished," Rosalie explained. Ness caught on right away.

"That has to be the strip of sand on the side of the island facing the mainland. I saw it last night from Swan Court," Ness told her, definitely caught up in the thrill of discovery now. Her thoughts briefly flitted to the light she had seen, but she pushed that away as Rosalie nodded with her.

"Yeah, I think so, too. And there's no sign of a gazebo now, from what I can tell. I think the beach needs to be excavated. Imagine how great a re-creation of Victorian pleasure beach would be! It would really boost the number of tourists willing to make the ferry ride over to the house," Rosalie summarized her plan, and Ness was impressed. This really could be a big discovery for an intern. Good for Rosalie for paying such careful attention to an historical source. She was intently mulling over the ramifications and had nearly forgotten Rosalie's cryptic comments about a murderer in her family.

"So, about the killer," Rosalie interrupted Ness's fantasies of a freshly painted white, Victorian gazebo with a peaked roof. "Jasper mentions in the letter that the gazebo was Edward's idea. I wasn't sure who he meant. I went back over my family tree and didn't see an Edward there. I went back over my known servant's list, but no dice. I looked at other families in town with sons Jasper's age, but no other Edwards. I figured it wasn't important, but I did one last search on microfiche and came up with a newspaper article also written in 1901. Edward Cullen was Jasper's older brother." Ness stopped walking again and turned to face Rosalie. Her heart sank because this last bit had her questioning all parts of Rosalie's discovery.

"Jasper Cullen didn't have a brother," she told Rosalie. "That's the so-called curse of the family. There has only been one son in each generation, leading to me. Are you sure about all of this?" Ness made a sweeping gesture with her hand to indicate the entire breakthrough, and she could see Rosalie's eyes narrow in annoyance. They had reached the house now, and Rosalie pointed to it.

"Come inside, and I will show you, oh ye of little faith. I didn't copy the article, of course, but I made notes, and I can show you the citation. You can look it up yourself tomorrow. I think someone wiped Edward Cullen off the family tree when he did what he did," Rosalie insisted. The two girls headed up the path to the front door.

"And what exactly did he do?" Ness asked exasperatedly.

"He murdered Isabella Swan, the daughter of Charles Swan who owned Swan Court," Rosalie told her smugly. "He pushed her over the cliff in view of Cullen Island, and then disappeared from town along with $30,000, which would be about $800,000 today. He was never seen again." Rosalie looked at her triumphantly and waited for her reaction. Ness clutched the key to the front door, but her hand was frozen in the air above it. She stared back at Rosalie unable to form words for a moment. Finally, she recovered from her shock.

"Why would he do that?" she managed, unsure why the news affected her so. Rosalie's smile faltered a little.

"You're not upset are you? I mean, this guy was only your great uncle to the sixth power or something. It doesn't say anything about you," she backtracked, concerned about Ness startled reaction. Ness tried to smile.

"No, I'm fine. It's a great discovery. Even I have never heard of Jasper having a brother. You found this in a newspaper article, you said?" Ness tried to recover and get Rosalie back on track.

"Yes, it was in the New York paper, but a clipping was kept in the Newport archives. I have no idea who it belonged to or how it got in the archives though. That wasn't documented. The story was obviously kept out of the Newport paper. Anyway, to answer your question, the article speculates that it was a love triangle. Isabella was engaged to a man named James Hunter. The money belonged to Carlisle Cullen, and the paper also speculated that he stole the money to get out of town after he killed the girl. The odd part of the story is that James Hunter drowned two years later in the Cullen's marina, some kind of accident. He ended up married to someone else. You wouldn't think he'd stay friends with the family whose son killed his first fiancée, would you?" Rosalie shrugged.

Ness's mind was racing. There was something wrong with the story, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She supposed it was just her natural instinct to want her own relatives to be good people, and not jealous murderers. Suddenly, the front door swung open. Serena was in the doorway.

"What are you guys doing standing out here on the porch? Did you lose your keys?" Serena scowled at them in her usual condescending way with her hands on her hips. Rosalie reached for one of her wrists with wide eyes.

"Ser, you are not going to believe what I found today?" she began, basically barreling her way through both the doorway and Serena into the living room. She was juggling her bag and pulling out her laptop at the same time. Serena dropped her hands and surprisingly her attitude, realizing that Rosalie had something big to share.

"Both of you guys come in here and sit down. I'm going to show you all my notes," Rosalie called, already situating herself on the sofa. Ness and Serena looked at each other and shrugged as they both made their way into the room in compliance with Rosalie's request.

A/N: So? What do you think? The plot thickens, right?

I gotta say I love writing this Rosalie. I think I like her more than any other character. Not sure what that may mean.

Reviews are appreciated as well as recommendations! Send me more readers if you like what you see.

EG


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Welcome back. Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing this story! Let's learn a little more, shall we? Sorry, no 1901 this time…

Chapter 5

2013

Rosalie finished showing her research to Ness and Serena and snapped her laptop shut. Ness internally giggled at Serena's expression; Rosalie had stunned her into a rare silence. She opened her mouth a few times to speak but closed it again when she couldn't find the words. Rosalie sat smugly for a few more minutes but then jumped up from the couch, pushing her laptop onto the coffee table.

"Isn't it fantastic?" she squealed and did a little dance in front of the TV. Ness laughed at her enthusiasm. Serena found her tongue.

"Rosalie, this is amazing," she said sincerely. "Discovering, excavating, and re-creating a structure like this will get you any job or PhD program out there. And Shelley's honest. She won't try and take credit away from you. Have you told her yet?" Rosalie shook her head.

"I wanted to process it some more and be really sure before I presented it to her, but you guys see it, too, right?" Rosalie asked her roommates. They both nodded.

"I would tell her tomorrow, if I were you," Ness encouraged. "All the better to stake your claim." Serena agreed.

"But tonight, we're going to celebrate!" she announced. Ness looked at Serena and Rosalie warily. She had been hoping for a good night's sleep before seeing the house for the first time tomorrow. She now felt a little self-conscious about the lack of importance of her own internship project. But, when she looked at the other girls' excited faces, she knew she couldn't turn them down despite her misgivings.

"This is perfect," Serena exclaimed. "My brother is on the way over here. We were planning to go out for dinner, and I was going to see if you guys wanted to come, too. Now we can just head to the Pub again. He really needs to loosen up anyway!" Rosalie nodded enthusiastically and giggled.

"Hopefully, those Navy boys will make an appearance. Seeing Royce again might be the perfect cap for this day!" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Serena joined her giggling. Ness felt a twinge of guilt, thinking of Emmett, but if she were truly honest with herself, the thought of seeing Jake again really appealed to her. She allowed her mind's eye to picture his handsome face and felt butterflies in her stomach.

"I'm sure Jacob would like to see you again, too," Rosalie said reading her mind and trying to draw Ness into the conversation. Rosalie thought she was too quiet, but her comment had the opposite effect. Having it said out loud like that reminded Ness that she was not the type of girl who ended up with good-looking guys like Jake. It was absurd to think Jacob had even considered her since Saturday evening. Her excitement for the outing deflated.

Emmett got home at that moment and walked into the commotion. He was all enthusiastic smiles and congratulations until plans to go to the Pub were brought up. Rosalie and Serena didn't seem to notice his chagrin, but Ness certainly did.

It was approaching six thirty, so everyone adjourned to their rooms to change clothes. Ness took a little extra time with her appearance after the mention of Jake. She told herself she was being silly, but it didn't stop her from applying a little eye shadow and mascara. The roommates met back in the living room when they were all ready, everyone waiting for Serena's brother. Serena's phone buzzed, and she hopped to her feet after reading the text.

"Nate's running a little late. He's going to meet us there. Let's go," she commanded the group, and they all followed her out the front door. The evening was warmer than the one prior, and there was no sign of any threatening fog. It was a pleasant and familiar walk to the Pub, and Ness wondered how frequent this particular outing would become for them.

Luck was definitely with Rosalie that day because Ness spotted the group of Navy men clustered at the bar as soon as they entered the Pub. The excited glance that passed between Rosalie and Serena indicated that they did as well. Ness heard Emmett sigh resignedly but she felt a nervous twinge in her stomach and couldn't feel completely disappointed that the men were there. She tried to scan the area nonchalantly but didn't see Jake among the group. It was probably just as well, she chided herself.

Serena quickly commandeered a large six-person table, and they all took seats. Ness smiled as she watched Emmett stealthily slide into the seat next to Rosalie. Serena sat at the head on the other side of Rosalie, so Ness sat down across from Rosalie. This meant that Nate would have to take the empty seat next to her, but Ness figured she would just move down if he wanted to sit next to his sister.

But the seating arrangements were destined to change more quickly than that. The handsome blonde-haired Royce separated himself from the mass of white uniforms at the bar and approached their table determinedly. He stood hovering in the space between Serena and Ness and addressed the group while staring fixedly at Rosalie.

"Well, it's certainly nice to see you ladies again this evening," he said with a grin. "We were pretty lacking in beautiful company last night without you here." Ness thought he was a little too over the top with the suaveness.

"Oh, you were here last night?" Rosalie asked casually. Emmett was staring at the table and picking at an invisible stain with his finger tip.

"We're here every night," Royce assured her. "I wouldn't miss a chance to run into you, Rosalie." Ness wanted to gag, but Rosalie seemed to enjoy the attention. Royce was leaning towards Rosalie now, and he was kind of infringing on Ness's personal space. She moved over into the chair across from Emmett.

"Why don't you sit down?" she mumbled. Royce didn't hesitate and took her vacated seat. Now he could freely lean across the table towards Rosalie. Emmett glared at her, but Ness just shrugged her shoulders.

Suddenly, a young man approached the empty chair at the foot of the table. He had clear, olive skin, and dark wavy hair that brushed the top of his ears. His eyes, although hidden behind metal-rimmed glasses, were an interesting golden-green color, and he was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. This must be Serena's brother, thought Ness. He confirmed her suspicions immediately by addressing Serena at the other end of the table where she was engrossed in the flirtation between Rosalie and Royce and hadn't seen him arrive.

"Hey, Ser," he greeted her quietly. He stood behind the empty chair and didn't move to sit down. Ness was surprised by his demeanor. She had expected someone brash and more like Serena, but Nate seemed quiet and uncomfortable in this social setting.

"Oh, Nate, there you are," Serena jumped, startled at his sudden appearance. "Everybody, this is my brother, Nate. He's an arborist for the NCPS. Nate, this is Emmett, Rosalie, Royce, and Ness." She pointed at each person at the table as she went around naming them. Nate finally pulled out the chair and sat down, nodding to everyone as he did so.

Rosalie and Royce were immediately engrossed in one another again, and one of Royce's friends chose that moment to approach the table and start talking to Serena. He was handsome with dark caramel colored skin and must have been a friend from the other night, because Serena scooted over in the chair, and he sat down to share it with her. Ness, Emmett, and Nate were left to stare at each other in awkward silence. Finally, Emmett took it upon himself to break the ice and cleared his throat.

"So, Nate, you're an arborist. That's cool. How'd you get into that?" Emmett asked with a friendly smile.

"Oh, um, my whole family is in agriculture," Nate explained in a soft voice. Ness noticed that he didn't really make eye contact with either of them. She thought he seemed even shier than she was. "My parents came with their families from the Azores when they were teenagers. You know the Atlantic island chain? Anyway, there are a lot of cranberry bogs in southern Massachusetts, and most of the farmers are Portuguese and a lot are from the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands. Serena's the first person in our family to graduate from college." Nate shrugged when he said this, but Ness could see the pride in his eyes as he glanced down the table at his sister.

"I thought you had to have a degree to be an arborist," Ness blurted. She wanted to kick herself for the outburst, though as soon as she'd said it. It could definitely be construed as condescending. Nate turned his attention to her and briefly met her eyes with his. She was relieved that she saw no ire there.

"Well, technically it's an industry certification," Nate corrected, "but I do have an associate's degree in forestry from UMass. But, Serena has a real degree from an Ivy League school, and soon she'll have a Masters." Again, he looked down the table but frowned this time. Serena was now on the Navy guy's lap, and his hand was idly rubbing up and down her thigh.

"You have a real degree," Ness exclaimed, surprised at the level of Nate's self-deprecation. Nate shook his head and waved his hand to indicate he didn't agree with her, but then he raised his eyes to hers again. Then, his face split into a wide, shy smile. His teeth were white and straight, and Ness found herself briefly dazzled by the change in his face and demeanor. Nate should smile all the time, she decided.

Emmett was watching their interaction with some consternation, trying to decide if he should continue with the conversation or try and excuse himself. But, Nate's smile faded, and he looked back down at his hands on the table. He didn't seem inclined to engage Ness in any further talk, so Emmett figured he was safe to stay. He asked Nate to describe his work at Cullen House.

"So, what are your areas of specialty?" Nate asked them curiously before he answered. Emmett explained that he was a stonemason, and Ness declared herself an architectural historian.

"All right, neither one of you will overlap much with my work," Nate mused. "Right now I'm working with a landscape architect to restore the grounds of Cullen House to its appearance around the turn of the 20th century. That was apparently the heyday of the home when Carlisle Cullen was the head of household." Ness was surprised that he knew so much of the history of the island's occupants, and it must have shown on her face.

"Hey, I do my homework," Nate quipped with the hint of another smile. He was obviously much more comfortable in a social setting when he was discussing his work, and Ness felt a thrill of triumph that she didn't fully understand at his receding reticence. Ness returned his almost smile with a large one of her own. She figured their introversion made them kindred spirits.

"So, were the gardens extensive?" Emmett asked. Nate turned to him and gestured effusively with his hands, indicating something very large.

"Like you wouldn't believe! It's a great project to have assigned. I'll be putting in trees all summer. There was a sort of boulevard from the marina on the north side of the island to the house which was completely lined in flowering trees. We're restoring a small apple orchard on the east side of the island near the main front entrance that the NCPS hopes to use as tourist vessel, and there was a formal European garden that spread from the terrace on the west side of the house down to the tennis court on the west lawn," Nate described.

"Do you know anything about the beach on the west side of the island? Was that developed?" Ness couldn't stop herself from asking. Nate gave her a strange look.

"No, I don't think it was. I mean, it wasn't in any of the plans that the landscape architect has shown me. I've been down there though. There's a narrow foot path near the tennis court. It's kind of creepy if you ask me," Nate shrugged. Ness thought about the light she had seen from Swan Court, but let the subject drop. Emmett stood up, his chair scraping the floor.

"Hey, guys, I'm going to try and find a waitress. We've been waiting awhile. You want a burger, Ness, like last time? How about you, Nate?" Emmett was getting hungry and really wanted a beer. Royce had come around the table, and now he and Rosalie were sharing a chair. Serena and Royce's friend, who was apparently named Embry, had pulled their chairs together and were whispering and giggling with their knees touching. Nate was glaring at the back of Serena's head, but agreed to a burger, too, when Ness said that was what she wanted.

Emmett had moved away into the crowd, when Nate turned back to Ness. He already seemed more comfortable with her. His words caused her heart to sink.

"So, Serena told me that you're a Cullen, actually related to the family who built the house," he stated. Ness wasn't sure why she felt so disappointed that he was more interested in her name than in her. She should be used to this by now. But, she smiled and nodded, confirming his surmise.

"Yes, but my father was estranged from his own father who sold the house. I don't really know much about the details of the history of the family. Just the basics," she told him with some false cheerfulness.

"Oh, I hope I didn't touch a nerve," Nate said, somehow intuiting that he had somehow upset her. "I just thought the project must be really close to your heart." Ness appreciated his thoughtfulness and said so, but assured him she wasn't offended in the least. He seemed to take her at her word. They fell into a silence, which threatened to become awkward. It was broken by raucous laughter at the other end of the table. The chair had tipped and Royce had fallen off onto the floor. Somehow the foursome at the other end had managed to score beer already. Ness glanced around for Emmett but couldn't see him through the wall of white uniforms between her and the bar.

"Ness?" Nate's quiet voice caused her to turn her attention back to him. "Why did you ask about the beach on the island?" His expression was intense, and Ness felt an unexplained shiver curl up her spine. She tried to come up with a plausible answer since she couldn't talk about Rosalie's discovery yet; it was still a secret.

"Oh, um, I noticed it from the Cliff Walk when I was walking near Swan Court. It was really foggy and dark, but I thought I saw a light down there," Ness told him. She wasn't sure why she mentioned seeing the light. She hadn't meant to do that. Nate regarded her impassively. His green-gold eyes held hers, and she started to feel dazed. Finally, he spoke.

"I was only down there once. I decided to wade out at the end of the work day when I'd gotten extra hot. The fog rolled in out of nowhere. It was pretty disorienting. But I definitely saw someone with a light, like a lantern, standing up on the cliff by Swan Court. I'm sure it was just a tourist with a flashlight," Nate spoke mechanically, and Ness felt like he was holding back part of the story.

"Oh, well, that's a funny coincidence," she said lightly, trying to sound bright and breezy, even though goose bumps were standing up on her arms. She remembered the sensation of someone standing next to her, feeling the exhale of a sigh, and seeing that strand of dark hair rustling on the breeze. She had imagined it, she reminded herself.

"But that's not all," Nate continued, his voice still flat. "There was someone there with me. I heard a man cough, and I could feel him standing behind me. I could smell smoke, like a cigar, but when I turned around, I didn't see anyone. I've been questioning the workers but I haven't figured out who was there. No one else had any business being down there, and I'm concerned someone's up to no good. That you saw a light down there makes me sure that someone is hanging around in places they shouldn't."

Nate's expression was troubled, but his confession relieved Ness. There was an explanation for the light she had seen. That confirmed that her overactive imagination had been the cause of the rest of it. Of course, renegade workers could seriously endanger a restoration project, so she couldn't be too happy about this. Plus, it was very concerning that someone was snooping around Rosalie's beach. She needed to notify Shelley first thing tomorrow, so she could lay claim to the project. But Ness couldn't say anything about that right now, so she stayed silent and just looked back at Nate's worried face trying to think of an appropriate reply.

Ness's contemplation was broken when a beer bottle was placed on the table in front of her and another in front of Nate. She glanced up, startled, to see a smiling Emmett. And standing behind him was Jake, looking perfectly put together in his white shirt and pants.

"Look who I found," Emmett announced. He still felt bad about stealing Ness away from a conversation she was obviously enjoying on Saturday night and had resolved to arrange a meeting between the two when he saw Jake near the bar. Jake had remembered him, and it hadn't taken much prodding to entice him back to the table. "Pull up a chair, man," he invited Jake, gesturing to an empty chair at the next table.

Ness felt dazzled when she looked up into Jake's warm gaze. His eyes held hers until she wanted to squirm under his scrutiny. His lips pulled up into a slow smile, and Ness felt her cheeks burn. It was unlike Nate's smile which had made her feel cheerful; this set her aflame. She knew she was setting herself up for disappointment, but she couldn't care at the moment. She forgot all about what she had been going to say to Nate. Jake grasped the wooden chair, and it made a scraping sound as he pulled it across the floor and positioned it between Ness and Nate. Emmett settled back into his own chair.

"So, it's good to see you again, Ness," Jake said. "I was hoping you and your friends would come back." Ness started to relax, remembering how easy it had been to talk to Jake the other night. He had not been intimidating then, so she shouldn't be nervous now. Or so she chanted in her head. Jake casually placed his hand on the table top, and it brushed lightly against her own hand where it gripped her beer bottle. She had to force herself not to jump at the contact. "How was your first day of work?" he asked smoothly.

"Don't you guys have to study?" Ness blurted out as she was wont to do when she was uncomfortable. She wanted to cover her face in embarrassment, but she was distracted by a soft snort across from her. She raised her gaze to see Nate stifling a laugh; he had a small, pleased smile on his face, but she could tell he wasn't laughing at her, more likely at her slight against the Navy men. She felt bad that she had forgotten that he and Emmett were even there. Jake looked taken aback for a second, but he joined in the laughter.

"Touche," he said ruefully and leaned back in his hair, running a hand through his closely cropped black hair, "but we really don't have a lot of work outside of class. There's a bit of law there, but it's mostly a review. The real reason we're here is to be indoctrinated into military culture. So what are a bunch of people who don't know each other well and are far away from home going to do with free evenings?" He gestured to the room around them, indicating that the answer to the question was obviously in front of them. He chuckled, and Ness had collected her wits enough to notice that Nate was now frowning at him. He didn't seem to enjoy the addition to their group and had lost the relaxed air he had displayed before.

The burgers arrived then, but Jake remained at the table and chatted with the three of them as they ate. Actually, Jake and Emmett chatted, and Jake attempted to draw Ness out with questions about her internship and her graduate program. She was still very embarrassed about what she considered her earlier faux pas, and her shyness and reticence threatened to overwhelm her. She knew that she needed to act a little more normal, or Jake wouldn't want to waste time with her ever again. Nate ate in silence.

The behavior at the other end of the table continued to deteriorate, the laughter getting louder and the concept of personal space going out the window. Ness jerked her eyes down toward Rosalie when she saw Emmett's face turning almost purple across from her. Royce and Rosalie were kissing, and he was running his hand through her hair. They broke apart, and he whispered something in her ear. She shook her head and blushed, and the smile died on his face. He stood abruptly, almost dumping Rosalie on the floor.

"I guess I'll see you around then, Rosalie," he spat, obviously upset with her and started away toward the bar. Jake rose hastily and made to go after him.

"Sorry, Ness, I need to go after him and get him to cool down. I'll find out what happened. I'll catch you before you go, okay?" And with that, he disappeared into the crowd.

Ness was horrified by what was taking place. Rosalie was now crying softly with her face hidden, still sitting in the chair she had shared with Royce. Emmett was hovering over her, his hands not touching her, obviously unsure how to comfort her. But, Ness hadn't missed that Jake had apologized for leaving her specifically, not just to everyone in general. That had to mean something. Serena spoke to the frazzled group with her usual lack of tact.

"Hey, guys, Embry and I are going to take off. Rosalie, I'll catch up with you tomorrow. Don't cry, okay?" She patted Rosalie's shoulder and jerked her thumb toward the door. Nate stood up so quickly, his chair clattered to the floor. Ness wanted to cover her eyes, things were unraveling so rapidly.

"Serena Joham, what do you think you're doing?" he demanded. Serena glared at him and wrapped her hand around Embry's bicep.

"I'm leaving with Embry now," she emphasized each word. "Have a nice night, Nate," she dismissed him. Embry did not seem the least bit intimidated by Nate. He nuzzled Serena's hair and kissed her temple. She giggled and smiled up at him. She turned to glare one last time at Nate, released Embry's bicep, grabbed his hand, and led him out of the pub. Presumably back to their house, Ness realized with chagrin. Serena wouldn't be allowed on the Navy base.

Ness shook herself out of her frozen, shocked position. Emmett had calmed Rosalie, who was wiping her face with a napkin. Nate let out a deep breath and slouched back into the chair Jake had vacated since his was on the floor. He covered his face with his hands and rubbed vigorously as if to rub the incident out of his brain. Finally, he looked up.

"She makes me crazy. She acts so inappropriately at times. I think we spoiled her. She's so talented; I just don't want her to squander it," he said imploringly to Ness. She nodded sympathetically.

"You're a good brother, Nate," Ness told him, and she surprisingly felt like she meant it, despite what little she knew of Nate. He smiled wanly.

"Ness, Rosalie and I are going to go back. Do you want to come with us?" Emmett interrupted them. Ness sighed and tried to keep herself from glancing around for Jake. She needed to go back with them and comfort Rosalie however she could. Plus, she needed to tell her about Nate's experience on the beach. She didn't want to overwhelm an already upset Rosalie, but she had to talk to Shelley tomorrow. It was imperative.

"Yeah, I'm coming," she said wearily and got up. Nate stood, as well.

"I'm going go, too, but definitely not back to your house," he told them with a sneer. "Keep an eye on Serena, if you would," he asked with a shake of his head. Even Rosalie cracked a smile, as they all agreed. The four of them started to shuffle toward the door. Ness couldn't help that her head was on a swivel, looking for Jake as she left. She didn't have much experience with guys, but he had seemed interested tonight, and he'd said he wanted to see her before she left. She was still distracted when Nate spoke to her.

"Ness, would you mind if I got your cell number? I think it'd be a good idea if I could get in contact with one of Serena's roommates if I can't get a hold of her." Ness was still scanning the room for Jake and didn't notice the way Nate's eyes darted around or the nervousness in his tone when he asked her this. She quickly agreed and entered her number into his phone, all the while still hoping Jake would appear.

But her efforts were futile because the foursome was stepping onto the pavement outside, and he hadn't stopped her.

Drop me a line and let me know how you think things are shaping up! BTW, I have gotten a lot of new readers and reviews over the last two weeks for one of my other stories, Eye on the Prize. Please let me know if someone has been recommending it recently, so I can thank them. See you again in 2 weeks!

EG


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

1901

Edward was in a foul temper, and the weather matched his mood. It had been foggy and rainy for several days. This had kept the family in doors, and Edward and Jasper had had few outlets. There had been no tennis matches and no beach outings. The latter had been particularly trying for Jasper. He had admitted to Edward that his feelings for Miss Brandon ran quite deep, and he planned to do everything in his power to further their acquaintance.

His father had taken a chill as a result of the weather and remained in bed this morning. Edward knew that his father was disappointed to miss church services but had bet his health on remaining in bed today in order to make a return to New York tomorrow a possibility. Work went on despite the Sabbath.

Edward was prepared to accompany his mother and Jasper to services this morning despite the abysmal weather. At least the family had a private pew. This meant that they would have hot ashes stowed under the bench and remain toasty warm. His father had continued to pay a monthly stipend to the Reverend's assistant, and he would take care of it.

Edward straightened his lapels and waited in the foyer. Of course, he was the first to be ready. This was his regular pattern. He watched as his mother descended the stairs carefully and moved forward to take her arm in order to transition her carefully to the level ground floor.

"Mother, you look lovely this morning," he greeted her. Esme simpered and patted his cheek.

"Such a sweet boy, if God didn't frown up on self-aggrandization, I would certainly spend some time congratulating myself on producing such a son," she kidded. Edward kissed her cheek in response. Esme smiled but then looked seriously at her son.

"Edward, I plan to pray today for you. I've noticed a change in you, and I don't like it. You're preoccupied and pensive. There's something going on that you won't confide in your mother." She frowned and looked at him reproachfully. Edward sighed. It was true. He'd been off since the ball at the Swan's residence. He couldn't get Isabella Swan out of his mind. She was totally unsuitable and probably soon to be betrothed to James Hunter, but he couldn't stop fantasizing about her sweet face. He replayed their interaction on the terrace, focusing on her small smiles and widened eyes. He had been doing all he could to rid himself of the memory of her electric touch, but so far had been unsuccessful. But he couldn't relate this to his mother. She would be horrified.

"Thank you, Mother. I appreciate your concern, and I could use the prayers. I'm quite engrossed in some plans that I have for the business, and the weather isn't helping me at all," he shook his head and ran his hands through as hair as carefree as possible. Emse smiled indulgently.

"Yes, the fog is trying. We come down for the fine weather; New York is so unpleasant in the summer. When it turns so gloomy, it's hard to remind ourselves why we are down here," she agreed. Just then, Jasper descended the stairs behind her, and Esme offered her arm to her eldest son.

"Let's go," she said beaming at her two beloved sons. "The Lord awaits us," she told them. Edward nodded and led his mother out the front door to the waiting carriage. They had an automobile that would have done just fine, but Esme didn't care for the vehicle. The three members of the family rode silently toward the center of town, only moving to alight when they arrived at Trinity Church. The horses stomped and nickered, signaling their displeasure at the wetness.

The church footman held the door to the carriage while Edward debarked. He stepped back and allowed Edward to take his place when it was time for Esme to alight. Edward grasped his mother's hand with one hand and guided her from the carriage with his other hand by grasping her elbow. Esme lifted her skirts with her free hand to avoid the puddles that were collecting at the curb. Jasper scrambled out behind them.

The family entered the church together and headed toward their family pew. Edward was pleased to see that the ash bins were full in the occupied pews they passed. His mother would be warm and comfortable during the upcoming service. They moved up the aisle toward their pew until his mother stopped suddenly in her tracks in front of her two sons. Edward glanced toward the subject of her regard, and then froze where he was.

Isabella Swan was seated alone two pews before them. Charles Swan was not known as regular church-goer but it seemed his daughter was of a different ilk. She was alone in a small box just one pew behind the front row. She was obviously shivering in the cold weather. No hot ash had been provided for her seat as her attendance was surely unexpected. Esme gripped Edward's forearm and turned to whisper.

"Edward, Isabella Swan is here," she told him, as if he wasn't acutely aware of that fact. "She's alone as her father prefers to worship at home," she glanced up at Edward to gauge his reaction. He wanted to smirk at her description of Charles Swan; he obviously was not a god-fearing man. Edward doubted he was at Swan Court directing his own home service, but whatever his mother chose to believe was fine with him. Esme continued, "I think she's cold there in that pew alone," she gestured toward Isabella as if Edward's gaze wasn't trained on her unfailingly as it was.

"Would you please step forward and invite her to sit with us?" Esme requested. "I'd like her to sit against the wall," Esme gestured toward the innermost seat of their box pew. "I'm sure she'll be warmest there. Poor girl," Esme fretted and peered concernedly at Miss Swan. Edward sighed and wondered why God was doing this to him. Why put his deepest temptation in front of him this way? But he obeyed his mother and did as she asked.

Isabella's head was bowed with her eyes were tightly closed, and she did not turn to look at him even when his footsteps stopped next to her pew. She seemed to be oblivious to the crowd surrounding her, and Edward wondered if it was willful. He remembered the hostility of the Gardiner sisters at the ball, and he reckoned that it was a defense mechanism, indeed. He felt that instinct to protect her rise up once again. He cleared his throat before speaking, and she finally looked up. Her dark eyes were wide and bewildered, and her lips parted slightly in surprise when she saw him standing there. He wanted to groan when he saw that attractive blush suffusing her cheeks. It was just as he remembered it from the ball. Edward forced himself to stop staring and speak to her.

"My mother would be pleased if you would come and sit in our pew," he told her as formally as possible. "She is concerned you will catch a cold." There. Now she knew it was definitely his mother's idea. Isabella didn't move, and she continued to stare at him with that damnable blush on her cheeks. He stepped forward and offered his hand to spur her into action. She startled and sat back against the pew. A determined look crossed her face.

"Thank you kindly, but I'm sure I will be fine here," she told him firmly. She ignored his hand. Edward considered for a moment accepting her wishes and returning her regrets to his mother, but he couldn't shake the idea of her sitting next to him during church. He felt disappointment at the loss of what had seemed so undesirable just a moment ago. It was irrational, but he couldn't help himself.

"Please, you are not fine. I can tell you're very cold. Please sit with us," he couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth. He took another step toward her, and she shrank back slightly, pulling her wrap tighter around her arms. He reached for her and touched her shoulder lightly. Once again he felt that strange shock, even through the double layers of her wrap and her sleeve. He locked eyes with her, and there seemed to be some sort of silent communication, but he didn't know what was being said. Slowly, she nodded.

"Yes, thank you. How very kind of you," she answered as if by rote. She allowed him to take her gloved hand and lead her back to the Cullen pew. Jasper and his mother had been standing behind them the entire time, but they were both smiling and seemed unaware of the extraordinary interchange between himself and the girl. Edward felt dazed.

"Isabella, we're so glad to see you today," Esme told the girl. Isabella just nodded and smiled as she slid into the pew first at Esme's insistence. Edward knew the proper thing was for his mother to enter the pew next. However, Edward knew from experience that his mother liked to sit on the end so she could see the front of the church more easily. He wasn't sure why he did it, but he decided to take advantage of his mother's preference. He hastily slid into the pew after Isabella. Jasper gave him an odd, questioning look before following him in. Esme sat on the end in her usual position and seemed not to notice the possible impropriety taking place under her nose.

The service began and proceeded normally. Edward wanted to kick himself for his idiocy when he caught all the surreptitious glances being sent his way. He had opened his family up for further gossip. What was he thinking sitting next to this girl in church?

But he couldn't help watching her next to him, feeling protective and oddly pleased with her presence there. She really was a very beautiful girl. She was obviously much warmer here in their pew with the ashes beneath the bench. He noticed that she was no longer shivering and was sitting up straight, no longer hunched over into her wrap. However, that seemed to change suddenly when the minister mentioned the date in the course of the scripture readings.

Isabella's face crumpled in what Edward could only describe as pain, and she brushed her fingers across her eyelids as if checking for tears. Then, she lowered her face, allowing the wisps of hair around her face to shield her from his gaze. He didn't think she'd been aware he was looking at him, so he figured the action was unconscious. He continued to watch her with fascination. She didn't seem to be paying attention to the sermon any longer. She was tracing her finger along the wooden pew back in front of her as if writing calligraphy. Edward was fascinated. What was she doing?

When it came time to stand for the benediction, she seemed startled and disoriented. She leapt to her feet in an almost panic, swaying slightly, as the congregation stood for the blessing. Edward touched her shoulder again to steady her, and she glanced at him. Something passed between them, and Edward felt warmth in his chest. He wondered if she felt it, too. He understood that something possibly dangerous was occurring but couldn't bring himself to care. Isabella was obviously in a hurry to leave at the end of the service. She turned to Esme with another thank you on her lips, but Esme shushed her.

"Darling, you must wait for your footman here in the pew. You're not dressed warmly enough to wait outside or in the foyer. Your father should be ashamed of letting you go out so. I'll sit here with you. Jasper, dear, please let the footman know to fetch our carriage," Esme was used to directing those around her, and Jasper dutifully headed back down the aisle to the front of the church. Esme was just settling herself back in the pew when she jumped back to her feet. "Oh! There's Mrs. Astor. I need to speak to her about the tea next week. Oh goodness, it looks like she's leaving. I must catch her." And with that Esme flitted away, leaving Edward and Isabella still seated in the pew, alone together.

They sat in silence for a moment, looking anywhere but at each other. Edward glanced around the sanctuary and saw that most people were making their way out or caught up in private conversations. No one seemed to be watching them right now. Isabella was blushing again, and Edward felt almost overcome. He forced himself to break the awkward silence.

"So, what were you tracing on the pew?" he asked her. He wanted to take it back immediately. She had seemed upset at the time, but he found he desperately wanted to know more about this mysterious, beautiful woman. So, he just waited and hoped she would answer.

"Oh, um, what do you mean?" she asked, obviously taken aback by the question. He just smiled at her and quirked his brow, now trying to lighten the mood.

"Don't worry, I won't turn you in to the minister. I don't always pay strict attention either, you know," he told her jokingly, but felt embarrassed when he realized what had distracted his thoughts today. She smiled at him wanly, though obviously not picking up the string of easy banter.

"It's not that I wasn't listening," she insisted. "I was focused on a prayer and didn't realize I was doing it." Edward knew he was prying but once again couldn't help it.

"And who is so lucky to receive such fervent prayers from you?" The question was not worthy of a gentleman and bordered on open flirting, and Edward was certain he had offended her. He started to stand and leave her alone in the pew, but he heard her soft whisper before he could do so.

"My mother," she said quietly. "She died on this day so many years ago." Edward felt such pity for her then. He knew about her unfortunate parentage, but in that moment, he finally understood that it wasn't her fault. She bore the weight and shame of it, but she undoubtedly loved her mother. He thought about losing his own mother just as Esme's laughter rang out over the room, interrupting his reverie. A world without his mother was unfathomable. Suddenly, he no longer cared about propriety. Isabella was a lovely and kind young woman, and he wanted to comfort her. Parentage and social status, be damned.

"What was her name?" he asked Isabella. She looked up at him in surprise. She had obviously not expected a Cullen to care about her deceased servant of a mother. She watched him closely, waiting for him to turn it into a joke, but she saw only sincerity and empathy in his expression.

"Renee," she finally answered him. The last straw of his sanity left him, and Edward reached into his coat for his pocket knife. There on the pew back, low to the ground next to the kneeler, he carved the name Renee into the wood. Next to it, he carved his own mother's name. Isabella stared at him in shock.

"Mothers are important," he told her. "I'm sorry you lost yours. I can't imagine what that would be like. Now there will always be something of her here." Tears welled in Isabella's eyes, and she placed her hand on his forearm. She was about to speak when Jasper appeared and interrupted.

"Mother is already in the carriage. Isabella, your footman is waiting for you at the entrance. Allow me to take your arm," Jasper looked at Edward suspiciously as he guided Isabella around Edward and down the aisle to the front of the church. Edward trailed behind and dreaded the questioning to come. He didn't know what to say to Jasper because he now knew that he was in love with Isabella Swan, and no good could come of this.

2013

The walk back to the house was somber and silent. No amount of coaxing from Emmett or Ness could convince Rosalie to tell them what Royce had said. Her cries calmed and died off into hiccupping, and she insisted she just wanted to go home. Nate had excused himself and walked in the other direction, presumably to find his car once they were outside. He had urged Ness to find him tomorrow on the Cullen Estate, promising a tour of the gardens at the end of the work day. She had had trouble paying attention to what he said and vaguely agreed. She was preoccupied with thoughts of Jake and the abrupt end to the evening. She wished she had his number so she could call him later.

Just as she had suspected, Ness saw that Serena's door was closed when they arrived at the house, indicating she was indeed at home. Thankfully, there were several rooms between their bedroom and Serena's. The roommates all began immediately readying for bed. Rosalie was moving mechanically without facial expression, and Ness could tell she was still very upset. Unfortunately, she had to tell her about the beach before they went to sleep.

"Rosalie?" she began hesitantly, watching from the bathroom door as Rosalie folded back her bedspread. Rosalie had scrubbed her face clean and changed into shortie pajamas. Her hair was braided down her back without an elastic at the end. She had told Ness last night that this was the secret to maintaining her waves without washing every day.

"Yeah?" Rosalie paused and turned toward her. Her eyes were still slightly red and puffy. She looked miserable, and Ness's heart went out to her.

"I need to tell you something about the beach on Cullen Island. Nate and I were talking about it tonight," Ness said. Rosalie's eyes went wide, and Ness could see anger descending into her expression, so she rushed on in her explanation. Rosalie's fuse was obviously short tonight.

"I didn't tell him about what you'd discovered," Ness assured her, "but he was talking about landscaping the garden down in that area, so I asked him if the beach area had been landscaped. I said I'd seen it from the cliff by Swan Court. He didn't think anything of it." Rosalie narrowed her eyes in annoyance and said nothing, waiting for Ness to finish her story. Ness tried not to take it personally, reminding herself that Rosalie had had a rough evening.

"Anyway, Nate said the beach hadn't been developed, and there was no indication that it had been used by the family during the Carlisle Culllen period." It felt strange to Ness to refer to a time period by the name of her great-, great-, great-grandfather, but she did it anyway. Rosalie was more interested in what she was saying now and plopped onto her bed with a more cordial expression on her face. "He said he went down there one afternoon to cool off in the water and got caught in the fog. He said someone was down there with him. He could hear him moving around but didn't see anyone." Nate had actually said that he felt someone behind him, not that he actually heard someone, but that made it sound creepier than it had probably been. There was no need to be dramatic.

"And, Rosalie, I didn't tell you before because I didn't think anything of it," Ness finished, "but I thought I saw a light down there when we were up on the cliff by Swan Court. I'm afraid someone is messing around down there. You need to tell Shelley about what you found in the archive first thing tomorrow." Rosalie sighed and flung her head back onto the pillow. She closed her eyes and scrubbed her face before pulling the bed covers over her legs.

"Thanks for telling me, Ness. Sorry I was being a bitch there for a minute. You're right; I need to stake a claim on this right away. I'll go in early and find Shelley first thing," Rosalie promised.

"Are you sure you're okay after tonight?" Ness couldn't help herself from asking as she flipped off the lamp between their beds. She could hear Rosalie sigh again in the darkness.

"Of course I am. I just want to forget about it, okay?" she said. Ness hummed an assent, and the two girls drifted off to sleep.

Ness got up early with Rosalie the next morning. Even though both girls were dragging a little bit due to their late and eventful evening, they were seized with anticipation for the day that found them more alert than they would normally be. Rosalie was anxious to speak with Shelley about her discovery in the personal letters of Jasper and Alice Cullen, and Ness was excited to finally see Cullen House up close.

The morning air contained a biting chill, but the sunny skies promised warmer weather as the day wore on. Ness smiled at the prominent salty smell in the air. She wanted to stick out her tongue and taste it on the breeze but figured Rosalie would find that strange. It was a little after seven when they began their walk to Osgood-Pell. Serena's door had still been firmly closed when they left, and Ness wondered if Embry was still in there with her. The Navy guys probably had curfews, she mused, and this train of thought brought her back to Jake.

Ness knew she was probably foolish to want to see him again, but he had seemed interested in her last night before everything went to hell. He had said he wanted to see her before she left. Ness cursed her inexperience and longed to ask Rosalie what she thought she should do, but she didn't dare bring it up after what Rosalie had gone through last night. All she knew was that she definitely wanted to see him again. They were walking in silence, both wrapped in their private musings, but Rosalie misinterpreted Ness's quiet.

"You didn't have to get up so early and come with me," she told Ness. "I hope you aren't too tired." She sounded anxious, and Ness wondered how bothered she still was by last night's events. She had asked to forget about it, but Ness knew things didn't always work that way.

"No, no, I was just thinking about…my thesis topic," Ness lied. "I'm going to look at some stuff written by the architect when we get there. While you're talking to Shelley," she clarified. And as she said it, she decided that was what she would do to kill some time. She didn't have to meet the Assistant Director for the tour until nine.

"Oh, good," said Rosalie. "I didn't want you to feel like you had to baby-sit me," she glanced side-eye at Ness, but didn't say anything else. The allusion to last night was as far as Rosalie was going to go towards discussing her feelings, Ness figured. That was fine; she'd be here if Rosalie wanted to talk. And if she did, then Ness wouldn't waste the opportunity to get some advice on the Jake issue.

Once they reached the headquarters, Rosalie was relieved to see that Shelley was, in fact, at the office early. She smiled and welcomed her into her office, and Rosalie disappeared inside. Ness continued on to the computer lab and opened the archives. She wanted to re-read some of the architect's writings. He had been fairly well known in the 1870s but definitely wasn't the most famous architect of the day. His name had been largely lost to history, and there weren't many of his creations left standing. She thought this might be a promising line of research.

An idea was beginning to dawn, as she painstakingly read through the lists of materials, sketches of building plans, and expense reports, but she was jarred from her contemplation by Rosalie's exuberant entrance to the lab. She was positively giddy. Ness looked at her expectantly, waiting for the details of her obvious victory.

"So, Shelley thinks the idea has merit!" she crowed. "She's going to put a team together to excavate the beach. One of the regular employees is going to head things up, of course, but I'm on the team, and the gazebo will be my thesis topic. She's going to let me write the proposal to the Board!" she finished excitedly.

"That's great, Rosalie," Ness congratulated her. "When will the project start?" Rosalie shrugged.

"I'm going to start the proposal today after the tour. Didn't you say that Nate was going to show you the grounds after the official tour today?" she asked Ness. It was Ness's turn to shrug. She hardly could remember what Nate had said to her at the end of the evening last night, but she did think maybe they had tentative plans.

"He mentioned something about it, I think," she admitted, and Rosalie clapped her hands together.

"So, it's settled. After the main tour, we'll get Nate to show us the grounds and end at the beach since he's been down there before. I'll start the proposal tonight and try and have it done by Thursday, so the Board can have it by Friday for their weekly meeting. If they approve it, we can get started next week!" Ness was slightly bewildered by Rosalie's tornado approach to the project, but she smiled at her friend's enthusiasm and agreed to the plan.

"How about you?" Rosalie paused in her own plans to ask after Ness. "Did you come up with anything for your thesis in the architect's papers?" Ness had almost forgotten her own new idea, and it came rushing back to her.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I think I have come up with something. It's not nearly as exciting, though," she told Rosalie. "I need to look at the house to decide for sure, but I think the architect may have had to make a lot of concessions given the house's island location. I could write about that. Of course, I need to find a house with similar architecture on the mainland and spend a lot of time comparing the two, so I don't know if it would work," she trailed off. The idea really wasn't as good as it sounded in her head. Rosalie thought differently.

"That's a fantastic idea!" she asserted. "And, there are no shortages of houses for comparison. I bet Swan Court would work best though. Weren't they built around the same time?" Ness nodded slowly. Now that she thought of it, there were a lot of architectural similarities between the two homes. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.

"And your Uncle Eddie murdered the daughter of the only owner of Swan Court! The house went to the state when Charles Swan died in the 1940s. The guy was in his nineties and never had any other children!" Rosalie cried. Ness frowned at her disapprovingly. "Sorry, I guess that sensationalism wouldn't help you academically, would it?" she tried to look ashamed but Ness knew the mystery had intrigued her, which was why she had brought it up again.

But, there was still something about Isabella's murder that didn't sit right with Ness. She couldn't shake the idea that the media had it wrong. She had almost opened her mouth to say as much to Rosalie but stopped herself. It sounded too crazy; she had no proof. The only evidence Edward had ever existed was in that one newspaper article. He'd been stricken from the family tree, no less. What would she say? That it was ancestral knowledge that told her Edward might be innocent?

"I think I'll stick to the architecture, Rosalie, but I do think I'll discuss the topic with Shelley. You're right that the two houses would probably compare well," was all Ness finally said, but she admitted to herself that in choosing the two houses for her project, she might just uncover more about their occupants. But why that mattered to her escaped her for now.


	8. Chapter 8

Hi, again! This is the first of two 2013 chapters in a row. Then, we'll get back to alternating perspectives.

Chapter 7

The group was chatting nonchalantly as they stepped onto the small ferry boat that would carry them across the short strip of water that separated Cullen Island from the mainland. Ness, however, was silent. The occasion felt momentous to her, like a date with destiny. She wasn't sure what she meant by that, even when it was said in the privacy of her own head, but as she placed her foot onto the dock which was all that remained of a once a grand marina, the moment was fraught. She felt lightheaded, and there was a buzzing in her ears. Ness glanced at Rosalie and at Jennifer, the only other person whose name she knew in the group so far, but they were unaffected. She figured she was being silly and sentimental and glanced up at the house apprehensively. Her head swam, and she felt nauseous. She took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out slowly between her lips. She fixed her gaze on the house and determinedly followed the others toward it.

She felt better and better as they walked along the path away from the marina, and the house loomed larger. She recalled Nate talking about the tree-lined pathway from the marina and noted that there were already several of the trees in the ground. It would look beautiful once it was done, she had to agree. She lagged at the back of the group and studied the façade of the building. It was in disrepair. The paint had been scraped away from much of the wooden parts in preparation for a fresh coat in the original color. Much of the stone work had been removed in order to better repair the crumbling pieces. It looked bare and sad. There were two large bay windows that stared at her like baleful eyes. She had the strangest sensation that the house was alive, a breathing entity that was just trying to heal from a grave illness or recover something it had lost. She shook her head to clear her thoughts; she was obviously indulging her overly dramatic side and needed to shape up. She closed her eyes and looked back at the house with her academic eyes, banishing all thoughts of family tragedies and the collective unconscious. Rosalie had noticed Ness lagging behind and joined her in the back of the group.

"Is it weird? Everything you thought?" she asked Ness. Ness shook her head and firmed up her resolve as they reached the front entranceway.

"No, it's an honor, really. I'm pleased to study such a fabulous piece of period architecture," she replied stoically. Rosalie looked at her skeptically but dropped it. The Assistant Director, Bob Banner, began to talk, giving the group a brief outline of the house's history and the restoration plan. There was still a lot to be done, which is what Ness tried focus on. They moved inside the house and proceeded room by room.

The foyer was fabulous. Marble stairs curved up either side of the room to the second floor. They were currently scratched and worn and without a railing, but Ness could see how splendid they would be when all was done. She looked up to the ceiling and pictured an enormous crystal chandelier hanging at the center of the room. Another wave of lightheadedness hit her, and the air around her imagined chandelier shimmered. Now the image in her head was quite clear, although she felt off balance. There were pink pieces of glass interspersed amongst the clear glass and silver beads that made up the chandelier. It made the room glow with a soft rose light.

Ness forced her eyes away from the ceiling to try and clear the strange feeling that had overcome her, and she clearly saw a handsome man in a period tuxedo descending the stairs, but now they were polished with a wrought iron railing. His bright green eyes pinned her in a stare, causing her breath to leave her.

"Ness?" Rosalie's sharp question startled her. Ness glanced around the room wildly. The image or vision or whatever it had been was gone. She was back in an unrestored foyer. Ness covered her mouth with her hands and took a deep breath, trying to recover.

"What?" she responded, still not sure what had just happened.

"I said, 'can't you just picture it?'" Rosalie said exasperatedly. "Wouldn't the room just be beautiful with a pink chandelier?" Ness felt a shiver run up the back of her neck.

"Oh, I didn't hear what Bob said. Was there a pink chandelier in here?" she asked lightly, trying to stay calm. Was she just picturing what she was hearing described? But she really hadn't heard Bob talking about the room. What was with her today? Rosalie snorted.

"You are all kinds of distracted," she noted. "Yes, he said there was a pink chandelier! It was ordered from Venice. You really need to be paying attention," Rosalie chided. And Ness agreed with her. She did need to pay attention. She couldn't allow herself to have some kind of emotional reaction to the place. So her family built it over one hundred years ago? What did that matter now? Her family didn't own it now; she was here to do a job. With that decided, she continued the rest of the tour, paying strict attention, missing not a single detail.

The house was enormous. They saw the family dining room, the formal dining room, the ballroom, the ladies drawing room, the smoking room, several bedrooms and sitting rooms, and finally came to the music room. Bob was describing how it had contained a large grand piano during the Carlisle Cullen period, but the piano had been moved after that for unknown reasons. It was no longer there when the house belonged to Jasper Cullen. NCPS had been desperately trying to locate the original piano. An original piece of furniture like that would have been a coup for the museum, but they could find no trace of what had become of the instrument.

"We don't know who played the piano," he told the group. "Neither Carlisle nor Esme are thought to have played. Esme Cullen played the harp, and we were able to purchase the original Cullen harp just a few months ago. It's still in great shape and in storage and will definitely be on display. We can conclude that Jasper did not play piano since he didn't keep it. It's a mystery," he said with a smile and a shrug. Ness felt the lightheadedness returning, but she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples to push it away. Quiet strains of piano music reached her ears, but when she opened her eyes to look around, it stopped. Clearly, she had imagined it.

The group moved out onto the back terrace and looked out over a broad expanse of lawn. It was a clear day, and Ness could see Swan Court crouched on top of the cliffs not too far away. Bob concluded the guided tour and gave the interns permission to wander around on their own for a little while. He reminded them of the ferry schedule and disappeared back inside.

Ness drifted to the edge of the terrace with her attention still fixed on Swan Court. After her tour of Cullen House, she could already name a few things that were likely modified out here due to the island building project. She was seized with a desperate desire to tour Swan Court as soon as possible. Maybe she could do it tomorrow and discuss her thesis idea with Shelley afterwards.

"Jeez, what is with you today?" Rosalie's annoyed voice cut into her consciousness. Ness turned to see Rosalie approaching her with Nate in tow. "You shouldn't have gotten up so early with me if you were that tired."

"Sorry, Rose. I'm just thinking about my thesis. Hey, Nate, how are you today?" Ness apologized and greeted at the same time. Nate was dressed in a golf shirt with the NCPS logo and jeans. His hair was tucked under a ball cap with the same logo, and he looked older and more professional than he had last night.

"Nate was asking if you still wanted him to show us around the grounds, and you were rudely ignoring him," Rosalie informed her. Ness flushed and turned to offer Nate an apology of his own. He shrugged and waved it away. "I told him we would love a tour, especially of the beach," Rosalie finished. Nate looked surprised.

"Ness and I were talking about that strip of sand last night. There's not anything there," Nate told Rosalie. He seemed shy around her, and Ness remembered that he had barely said two words to Rosalie last evening and probably wasn't comfortable with her. She felt flattered that he was more comfortable with her.

"About that…" Rosalie began with a smile. She quickly filled Nate in on her discovery. He turned to Ness.

"That's why you asked me about it last night," he surmised. Ness nodded sheepishly.

"I couldn't tell you about it yet," she told him. "But I really did see a light. I was curious about that, too." Then, Nate surprised her by breaking into a bright grin. It was the same smile she had admired in the bar last night. Ness felt a tingle in her stomach and hoped the weird feeling from inside the house wasn't coming back.

"Well, let's get on with the tour. I'm definitely more interested in poking around on the beach now!" Nate motioned for the girls to follow him.

1901

Alice Brandon began calling on Isabella after the ball. Isabella had several friends at school in France, and she missed spending time with other people her age so she enjoyed Alice's visits. Alice was much livelier than other girls Isabella had known and had a way of speaking her mind that often left Isabella shocked and speechless. Alice was from Charleston and planned to stay the summer with her mother's cousin here in Newport.

In their first conversation, Isabella learned that Alice's mother was also dead. Alice didn't admit it, but Isabella surmised that she had learned about Isabella's mother through gossip, and this led her to approach Isabella at the ball in a friendly way rather than scorning her as the Gardiner sisters had done. Alice was a nuisance to her father, and he conspired to send her away to various relatives at any available opportunity. Alice assured Isabella that she was very lucky to have a father who loved her and wanted her with him. Isabella knew it was true, but she wished he would give up his plan to turn her into a wealthy heiress.

Today, the girls were seated on the terrace looking out over the bay. It was warm, and they had discarded their shawls and moved their chairs into some meager shade. Alice wanted to look out over Cullen House, and Isabella could not think of an excuse to dissuade her that would not give away her secret. Jasper Cullen was Alice's topic of choice.

"We have been exchanging letters now for more than a week, Isabella!" Alice exclaimed. "I have them here, but I don't think it would be right for me to show them to you. I'm sure he has the expectation of privacy." Isabella smiled wryly at her exuberant friend. She might as well show her the letters; she was reading aloud from them and recounting their contents word for word anyway. Isabella kept quiet and did not point this out.

"He thinks I may be the most beautiful young lady in Newport!" Alice sighed dreamily but then looked at Isabella sharply. "Besides you, I'm sure he doesn't need to say," she backpedaled. Isabella let out a sharp bark of laughter.

"Alice, I don't think Jasper Cullen thinks of me at all. And you are the prettiest girl in Newport. He's telling the truth," she insisted. Alice rolled her eyes in a very unladylike way.

"Well, if he doesn't think of you, then it's only because his brother does," Alice said flippantly. "And James Hunter also admires you," she giggled. Isabella's breath caught in her throat. She didn't think she could discuss Edward without giving anything away. She was forever indebted to him for his kindness at the ball, and, of course, she admired his handsomeness. What girl would not? But the moment he had touched her skin, she developed an admiration for him she knew no one would ever surpass. But it was as realistic to admire the Prince of England. She figured she could enjoy her fascination in the privacy of her heart.

But, Edward had spoken to her and carved her mother's name into the pew in the church, and, now, she was hopelessly and thoroughly in love with him. There would be no other man for her. And she thought there was a small chance that he might feel something for her, too. He couldn't be so earnest and intense with other young ladies as well. It didn't seem to be in his nature. She sighed as she thought of it because it didn't matter what he thought of her. Isabella would not be a suitable wife for someone like Edward Cullen, and he would not turn his back on his family duty. Isabella's best case scenario would be to convince her father to remarry and have legitimate children. Then, she could remain in the background and not be forced to marry. She could live out her days as a spinster, if not with Edward then with only herself and her memories of the few precious moments they had shared.

Alice was watching her with pursed lips, waiting for Isabella's response to her comment about Edward and James Hunter. Thinking of Hunter brought on a whole new round of unpleasant thoughts. Isabella longed to confide in her and tell her of her feelings for Edward, but she didn't think it would be prudent given her growing intimacy with Jasper. At least she would confide her dislike of James Hunter; that would bring her some measure of comfort.

"I wish my father would remarry and release me from this obligation," Isabella said in a small voice. Alice instantly regretted pushing the conversation.

"Oh, Bella," she used the nickname she had created for her friend, "is he really so very bad? He has a great fortune, no matter how he gained it." Isabella turned her eyes to the water, trying to appear to stare into space rather than studying Cullen House. She gave a small nod.

"He's visited me twice since the ball. He has a very impertinent way about him, and although he seems admiring, it seems like he is putting on a show. I'm sure it is my father's fortune and not me that he admires," Isabella scoffed. "He looks at my bodice in a very disrespectful way. I think my father even noticed it." Alice let out a gasp, Isabella having shocked her for once.

"Truly? What does your father say about it?" she demanded. Isabella shook her head slowly.

"What can he say? He wants me to marry, and my prospects are poor. No respectable family would allow their son to marry a girl of my parentage. So Mr. Hunter and his ilk are what I can expect," Isabella said bitterly. Alice tried not to show it, but when Isabella spoke so frankly of her scandalous origins, it made her uncomfortable. She knew her father would be unhappy that she had befriended Isabella, but her relatives gave her very little supervision, and probably had no idea where she was at the moment.

"Surely, there is a family with pedigree that has fallen on hard times?" Alice inquired shrewdly. "They would allow the marriage to ensure the next generation." Isabella looked at her sharply.

"Would you want to be made into such a bargaining chip?" she snapped, and Alice looked away embarrassed. She was being insensitive in her questioning. She decided to be silent, but Isabella sighed and leaned over to pat her hand.

"I'm sorry; it's not your fault. You're right, in fact. The Newton's fortune is dwindling, and Michael Newton visited me the other day. He was clearly unhappy to be here, too. We sat in silence for the half hour visit. But his apathy would be preferable to Mr. Hunter, I assure you," Isabella told Alice. Alice forgot her pledge to remain silent on the subject and leaned back toward Isabella.

"What do you mean?" she inquired. Isabella shrugged.

"He has a rough way about him. I can't describe it exactly. My maid told me that he was a prospector and earned his money in the mines in Nevada. I guess that involves a lot of physical work and brawling. He scares me," she finished. Alice didn't know what to say to that, so the two girls sat and looked out over the water. When Alice looked over at Isabella, she appeared to be about to weep, so Alice decided to distract her.

"Do you see that strip of sand on the side of Cullen Island facing us?" she broke the melancholy silence. Isabella jumped and looked a bit guilty, but Alice couldn't understand why that would be. She ignored it and went on. There were a few men with shovels and other construction equipment on the beach that Alice indicated.

"Jasper said they are going to turn it into a pleasure bathing area. A gazebo will be built, and in a few weeks, they plan to have a large party in the area. It will much better than Bailey's Beach, and obviously only those invited can attend," Alice winked at her. Isabella understood the implication; James Hunter would not be invited. But Isabella wasn't sure of her own invitation.

"Alice, I'm not sure I would be considered an appropriate party guest," she warned her friend. Alice just smiled.

"Don't worry, Bella, I have the inside track on this."

I've been told that many people are reading the description of this story and deciding not to read because Ness is the main character. I'm going to update the description so that browsers will understand that Edward and Bella are definitely featured prominently. If you're still reading then you don't mind the way the story is structured. Spread the word to others, if you see fit!

Thanks to those reading and reviewing!

EG


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

2013

Nate was obviously in his element as Ness and Rosalie followed him through the old orchard and into the formal gardens. A lot of progress had been made in the restoration of the formal, English-style garden already. Rosalie dropped her backpack and began poking around the foundation of a gazebo at the edge of the orchard. Ness heard a buzzing sound and looked around to locate the source. She quickly realized it was coming from the pocket of Rosalie's bag. She could hear Nate and Rosalie's voices drifting back toward her when she reached her hand to retrieve what she was sure was Rosalie's cell phone.

"…1920's…Japer Cullen period…"

The phone had stopped buzzing when she finally got it out, but Ness gasped when she registered the missed call listed on the screen.

"Ness, is this original 1920s construction?" Rosalie called, indicating the gazebo she was inspecting. Ness jerked her head toward Rosalie's question, still clutching the phone in her hand. Rosalie sighed and stopped talking when she saw Ness's perplexed expression and the object in her hand. She frowned and huffed, kicking grass at her feet.

"Sorry, I heard your phone buzzing, so I grabbed it. You have 11 missed calls from Royce King," Ness formed this as a statement not a question because it was obvious from Rosalie's response that she was fully aware of the calls from Royce. Rosalie had closed the distance between them and grabbed the phone out of her hand. She stuffed it back in the backpack pocket.

"Yes," she said shortly, offering no more.

"Are you going to speak to him?" Ness asked hesitantly. Talking about Royce made her think of Jake and how and when she would see him again.

"I don't know," Rosalie said closing the topic brusquely. "Let's finish the tour." Nate was watching the girls with trepidation. "So, what about the construction?" Rosalie asked again.

"Umm…" Ness glanced at the carvings and the fastenings. "I think it probably is 1920s," she finally decided.

"If Jasper built it, he might have based it on the gazebo on the beach," Rosalie mused, staring at the gazebo and tapping her chin.

"Do you guys want to go down there?" Nate asked, interrupting her reverie. His eyes were on Ness anyway. Both girls quickly agreed, and Nate led them down an overgrown path past the garden. The sound of the waves got much louder as they crested a low rise covered in sea grass. The path narrowed and disappeared over a lip of land. Ness approached the edge and looked over onto the beach. Rosalie was already clamoring down the embankment to the sand. Nate waited for Ness.

As she gazed over the sand, a feeling of panic and forbidding gripped her, and the nausea from before returned. Ness shook her head to try and clear it. She did not want to go down onto the sand, and she didn't understand her reaction. Nate misunderstood her hesitation and touched her arm.

"I'll hold your hand and help you down," he offered. She looked up into his face to see him watching her intently. She pulled her arm away from him; her skin stung where he had touched her. She rubbed the spot absently and looked away down onto the beach. His intense regard made her uncomfortable.

"I'm all right. Let's go," she insisted starting down the path without waiting for him. She heard his soft agreement behind her and felt bad. She didn't know why she'd been short with him. Rosalie was calling to the two of them impatiently from below. It occurred to Ness that they would have to build a boardwalk with stairs to allow tourists to get to the beach once the area was restored.

Once she had her footing on the sifting sand, Ness spotted Rosalie pacing off a small area on the far end of the beach. She headed in that direction. Nate was following her quietly, probably afraid she would snap at him again, she realized. The light suddenly got dimmer, and she looked up to the sky.

"There goes the sun," Ness commented as a large gray mass blotted out her view of it. Nate looked up and back the way they came and frowned.

"There's some fog forming at the cape, too," he said. "That's pretty strange. The same thing happened to me the last time I came down here. Rosalie's team should probably stick to working here in the middle of the day. I guess it's a fog prone area." Ness murmured agreement. They reached Rosalie, and she was standing with her hands on her hips surveying the area surrounding her.

"This area has the look of a previously excavated area when compared with the rest of the beach," she told them. "They would have had to dig to dirt underneath the sand in order to pour a foundation, and this area appears sunken to me. What do you think?" she turned to Ness and Nate.

"Yeah, I see what you mean, but after so many years it's hard to say," Ness told her. Nate was paying little attention and watching apprehensively as a low mist settled on the ground. Rosalie dug her foot into the sand in the center of the area of interest. She kicked some sand toward the water.

"I think we'll start here," she decided, and as the words left her mouth, Ness felt cold fingertips on the back of her neck. It sent a chill through her body, and she shivered so violently that she stumbled. When her head went down, she felt breath in her ear.

"Help me find her," a whispering voice demanded, and suddenly, the beach was completely engulfed in a misty fog. Nate was instantly at Ness's side. He gripped her arm, stinging her skin again, and helped her to her feet.

"Are you all right, Ness? What happened?" he asked worriedly as he helped her brush sand off her knees. Ness looked wildly around but she was alone with Nate, and there had been no one else with them a moment before. The beach wasn't exactly easily accessible, so she didn't see how anyone could have followed them without their knowledge.

"Good lord, where did this fog come from?" an invisible Rosalie called before she materialized next to them.

"This happened last time I was down here," Nate told them with what Ness thought was chagrin. He was looking around uneasily, and Ness remembered that he had heard someone else when he was down here before.

"Did you guys here someone talking before?" Ness asked them. They both looked at her blankly and shook their heads.

"Did you hear something?" Nate asked her, glancing around. Ness understood why he was doing it. She didn't feel like they were alone either.

"Yeah, I thought I did, but I was probably just scared by the fog," Ness said. "It rolled in so suddenly," she explained.

"Let's go," Nate insisted and gestured for the girls to go ahead of him back to the path. Oddly, as they scrambled back up to the lawn, they climbed above the fog, leaving it on the beach. It was a great relief to Ness, and she felt better almost immediately. She was still very uneasy. As they made their way back toward the marina side of the island and the ferry landing, Rosalie fiddled with her phone. Nate fell into step beside Ness.

"There's something about that place…" Nate commented, letting his observation trail off. Ness agreed, and Nate cleared his throat to speak again. "Umm, after all that excitement, I'm pretty hungry. Would you want to grab some dinner? I mean, Rosalie is welcome to come, too, or whoever…" Nate trailed off again, and Ness looked at him in surprise. Was he asking her out? She felt a surge of pleasure, but then instantly recalled Jake. She couldn't lead Nate on when she was really interested in someone else. But she'd need to be careful since she really did enjoy his company. It was a new dilemma for Ness. But she didn't need to reply, because Rosalie came to her rescue when she turned back to the pair.

"Okay, I think Royce has groveled enough. I'm going to meet him at the Pub in a little while, but I'm not going alone. Ness, you're going to have to come with me," Rosalie insisted. Ness shrugged helplessly at Nate, and his face fell. Ness hardly noticed as her thoughts immediately focused on the possibility of seeing Jake again.

"Another time," he muttered. "I'll see you girls later, I see someone I need to talk to before I leave," he told them and moved away into the crowd at the dock they were approaching. Ness stared after him, feeling unsure.

"What just happened?" Rosalie asked. "Did I say something wrong?" Ness shook her head.

"I think he just asked me out," she admitted.

"Oh my, we need to talk!" Rosalie trilled excitedly, grabbing Ness by the elbow and pulling her close. Ness giggled and gave into the girl time, forgetting all about her unsettling experiences as the ferry pulled away from Cullen Island. Only later would she recall that although she was engulfed in gray when she heard the voice on the beach, she had the strangest sensation that the speaker was the man she imagined in the foyer of the house.

The girls returned to the house and got ready for another night at the Pub. Ness really wanted to ask what had happened with Royce, but Rosalie kept the conversation steered away from that topic and firmly on Ness's interaction with Nate. Ness sighed but complied when Rosalie asked for a word for word recap.

"Hmm, I definitely think he's interested," Rosalie concluded. "What are your thoughts? It might piss off Serena, but then again, she's so far up Embry's ass she might not even notice. She's pretty self-centered, if you didn't realize." Rosalie was an inch from the bathroom mirror, applying eyeliner, but her mouth twitched, belying the sarcasm in her comment. Ness was ready to go and seated on the closed lid of the toilet. She snorted but hesitated before answering Rosalie. Finally, she gathered her thoughts but decided to be noncommittal.

"Well, he's definitely nice and very interesting. I guess he's handsome, too; he has a really great smile. But, I'm not sure…" she trailed off and pictured Jake in her mind's eye. Rosalie had turned away from the mirror and was watching Ness with narrowed eyes as she stared off into space.

"I recognize that look, you know," Rosalie accused. Ness startled and turned her attention back to Rosalie who was tucking her compact into a clutch purse. Rosalie jerked her head toward the front of the house indicating they should leave. Ness obediently stood and followed her out of the bathroom and into the hall towards the door, apprehensively waiting to hear what "look" Rosalie recognized.

"You're into another guy," she said with confidence. "Since I haven't seen you around any other guys and you haven't mentioned any guys from home, I'm going out on a limb and guessing it's Royce's friend, Jake." Ness looked away guiltily but secretly pleased she could now discuss this issue freely.

"I hang around with Emmett," Ness retorted defensively.

"Ha!" Rosalie crowed taking Ness's response as acknowledgment. The idea of Ness and Emmett together was ridiculous in her opinion. "Now, _Jake_ is a handsome guy. He might be a little slick, though. What do you know about him?" Ness shrugged.

"I've talked to him a few times. He seemed really friendly. Last time we were at the Pub…" Ness hesitated before continuing, hating to refer Royce and Rosalie's argument. Rosalie rolled her eyes, indicating that Ness should just keep talking, so she went on. "Anyway, he said he wanted to talk to me again before I left, but I didn't get a chance," Ness finished.

"Well, we shall see," Rosalie sing-songed. "I'm sure he'll be there tonight. You'll have to let poor Nate down easy though. He is a sweet guy, and I need his help with setting up the dig!" Ness looked away, not comfortable with Rosalie's attitude. It seemed her friend had a bit of a selfish streak. She decided to change the subject.

"Rosalie, I hate to pry, but could you tell me what happened with Royce?" Ness asked timidly. Rosalie huffed and was silent for a few moments. The only sound was the click of her heels on the sidewalk. Ness's wedges had rubber soles and were quiet. Finally, she answered, and her attitude was much more subdued.

"We were getting along really well, but things were getting a bit too heated for public," Rosalie explained. "Royce suggested we go to the restrooms and continue, and I said no, of course! How disgusting, right?!" Outrage tinged Rosalie's tone. Ness gasped, shocked by Royce's crassness. She wondered why they were even considering heading to the Pub tonight. Rosalie saw the revulsion on Ness's face and quickly rushed on.

"He was kidding!" she insisted. "He just got upset that I thought he was serious about something so gross. I hurt his feelings." Ness watched Rosalie's face carefully and concluded that she truly believed what she was saying. However, it didn't sound right to her. She remembered Royce's anger, and the way he had dumped Rosalie on the floor when he stood up. They were just down the block from the Pub, though, and there was no way she could convince Rosalie to leave or stay away from Royce now. She'd just have to keep a close eye on her. In fact, she could ask Jake about Royce. She smiled to herself, pleased with the plan.

When they walked into the Pub, Ness spotted Royce and Jake at the bar immediately. As usual, the bar was crowded by men dressed in military whites. Royce was looking at the door and saw them enter, but Jake was further away with his back to the door, talking to a dark-haired girl dressed in whites. Ness was surprised; she hadn't realized there were any women with the Navy group. Ness stood awkwardly just inside the door, waiting for Rosalie to lead her over to the men, but Rosalie tugged her towards an empty pub table in the middle of the room. She didn't look at Royce. Ness didn't think games were a good idea, but she recognized that Rosalie knew a lot more about men than she did. She climbed onto the high stool without comment.

Royce made it to the table before the waitress. Ness noticed his blonde hair was perfectly styled despite the fact he probably had to wear a cap on his way over. He smiled at both of them even though his attention was fixed on Rosalie.

"Hello, Rosalie. Hello, Ness. Thanks for coming tonight. You both look lovely." Ness fought the urge to roll her eyes. She could not detect a bit of sincerity in Royce and couldn't believe Rosalie was falling for this. "Rosalie, could I speak to you in private?" he asked. Rosalie glanced at Ness in silent question. Ness sighed and nodded that she would be fine by herself. Rosalie and Royce quickly moved to a nearby table for two and sat heads together talking quietly. A waitress approached, and Ness ordered a beer. She tried to surreptitiously glance over at Jake but found he was looking right at her. Their eyes met, and he started through the crowd to where she sat alone at the pub table. Ness felt a blush creeping up her face, and her stomach clenched in nervousness as he approached.

"Well, hello, again," Jake greeted as he slid onto the chair Rosalie had vacated. "I missed seeing you again the other night. You ducked out awfully quickly." Ness struggled to string words together in his presence. He made her feel so nervous!

"Yeah, sorry, I had to take Rosalie home," she told him. He nodded and waited for her to say more. She wracked her brain for more conversation. "Um, I guess Royce got really upset?" Wow, what a scintillating conversationalist she was. Jake frowned and glanced at Rosalie and Royce, still murmuring to each other at the nearby table.

"I'm not completely sure about that guy," he mused. "I'd never met him before we got up here, and the more I get to know him, the less I like him. He seems a bit entitled." It was Ness's turn to frown as Jake confirmed her concerns.

"Should I be worried about her?" she asked. Jake shrugged.

"Probably not. It's not like it would be anything more than a summer thing, right?" Jake gave her that wide, dazzling grin. "I hope you don't think all Navy guys are like him." Ness's heart rate sped as she once again struggled to think clearly in his presence. His comment bothered her. Did he consider her only summer fling potential? But they would be living near each other next year, so it was different for them, she remembered.

"No," she replied softly, casting her eyes down at the table to stay focused. "I don't think that."

"Hey, do you want to take a walk down to the water front?" Jake asked suddenly after a brief but loaded silence. "It's kind of loud in here." He was looking at her intently, and Ness let herself look back up into his eyes. Her breath caught, and she was about to answer when they were interrupted.

"Hey, Ness, I'm looking for Serena. Have you seen her?" Ness turned toward the speaker, startled out of her hypnotized state. Nate was standing next to the table, waiting for her to answer. Ness was surprised by the determined look on his face. Gone was his usual shy demeanor. He glanced at Jake, and Ness didn't miss the loathing in that look. Ness felt a rush of annoyance. Was Nate really trying to ruin her evening with Jake?

"No, I haven't, Nate," she snapped and turned slightly, hoping he'd understand the dismissive gesture. But, he didn't leave.

"I'm worried about her. She's not answering her phone," he persisted. Ness felt a flicker of concern temper the annoyance. Serena hadn't been home when she and Rosalie were there. In fact, she hadn't seen Serena since yesterday. Maybe Nate had a legitimate worry. She opened her mouth to deliver a kinder dismissal, but Jake beat her to it.

"Dude, she's obviously not here," he said shortly. "She's probably off somewhere with Embry. Those two have really hit it off, and she's all he talks about now. Why don't you go look for her somewhere else?" Nate's lips drew into a thin line at the blatant blow off, and he stood up even straighter. He looked over at Ness one more time before nodding at her and stalking off without a reply. Ness watched him walk out in astonishment, and then turned back to Jake who was grinning widely as if nothing had happened.

"So, how about that walk?" he asked. Ness gave him a reproachful look and turned to see Nate slamming the door to the Pub behind him as he exited.

"What?" Jake asked her with a mocking smile. "Did you want to help that loser look for his spoiled sister?" Ness sat unsurely and unable to answer, surprised at the change in Jake's demeanor. Finally, she gathered enough courage to speak but stumbled on her words.

"Well, I guess not. I mean, she's probably fine like you said. But, Nate's worried. And he's not a loser," she insisted feebly. Jake's expression softened a little. He reached across the table and touched her hand where it rested next to her beer glass.

"Hey, rain check, okay? It looks like Rosalie and Royce are ready to go. We've got early class, anyway," Jake said conciliatorily. Ness glanced over at the couple, surprised when she realized they were standing next to the small table for two, obviously saying good-bye to each other. Royce leaned in and gave Rosalie a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Okay," she agreed in a voice little above a whisper. She felt very uncomfortable with the events of the evening. Rosalie appeared next to the table, and Ness indicated she was ready to go. They stood, and Jake leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"See you soon, Ness, and I'll hold you to that rain check," he said in parting, heading back toward the bar to cash out. As Rosalie and Ness turned toward the exit together, Ness noticed the dark-haired girl in uniform seemed to be watching them closely. Ness pushed the lingering qualms about Jake aside and allowed Rosalie's cheerful and optimistic chatter lull her into a sense of well-being as they returned to the house.

FYI, it looks like the chapters will start alternating 1901 and 2013 viewpoints from here on out. From the outline, I'm estimating approximately 20 chapters and an epilogue.

Thanks for reading! EG


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

1901

Edward paced his bedroom, back and forth, with his hands twisted in his hair. His usual slick style had been destroyed by his agitation. He did not understand how he could have created such a brilliant mess. He had been certifiably insane since he first laid eyes on Isabella Swan that night at the ball.

It had started innocently enough. Jasper had been droning on and on, as he was wont to do lately, about Miss Brandon and her love of sea bathing. He was lamenting the fact that he was not able to visit Bailey's Beach on a daily basis. This line of conversation had led Edward to picture himself frolicking in the surf with Miss Swan.

He pictured the small hairs around her face curling in the humidity, the bright laughing smile she would wear, and the way the damp bathing costume would cling to her body. In his mind's eye, he pulled her close to him and ran one hand up her back to curve lightly around the back of her graceful neck. His eyes dropped to her mouth, and he pulled her closer still. He forced himself abruptly to end the fantasy before his lips could meet hers. It would never happen; it was impossible.

Edward sighed in disappointment, but before he could stop himself, he heard his own voice suggesting that Jasper build a pleasure beach of his own along the sound side of the island. To top it off, Edward suggested they build an entertaining gazebo and have a great party to celebrate the completion. He didn't know why he suggested it. He couldn't imagine that Isabella could even be invited to such a gathering. For all he knew, she was already engaged. Jasper gaped at him in shock when he'd finished speaking. After a moment of silence, he broke into a wide grin and laughed heartily. He clapped Edward on the back.

"Oh, Edward, I thought you were such a boring, anti-social fellow, but you've come up with a better idea than I ever could have! Of course, we'll do that. I'll have gardeners begin the project this very afternoon. We'll host a party to end all others by next weekend," Jasper vowed. He was so energized by his new project that he rushed out of the dining room immediately to get started.

Edward sat quietly after he left. Isabella would undoubtedly be engaged to James Hunter, or possibly Michael Newton if gossip could be trusted, by the end of the summer. It couldn't hurt to see her once more; nothing would come of it. He would see what he could do to have her invited. With that decided he headed off to his father's office to conduct some business. The young kitchen maid clearing the breakfast dishes noticed that Mr. Edward was whistling as he left.

Carlisle Cullen had determined it was time to give Edward more of an active role in the family's financial dealings. There was a large sum of money left by Esme's father that was held in trust, intended for both Edward and Jasper. Carlisle decided it was time for Edward to have access to his money. He intended for Edward to use the money to begin his own transactions with the company, get his feet wet, so to speak. He invited Edward to his office that morning to discuss this new endeavor.

Edward entered his father's office with a spring in his step, and Carlisle was pleased to see the improvement in his demeanor. He had been sulking around the house for the last few weeks, and Carlisle wondered if perhaps he wasn't mature enough for what he had planned. But, he appeared this morning to be just the right mixture of joviality and seriousness. Carlisle decided he was ready.

"Edward, I'm sure you are aware of the trust from Grandfather Platt," Carlisle began. Edward nodded that he was indeed aware, so Carlisle went on. "I plan to grant you access to the funds effective immediately. I'd like you to use it to begin some small transactions on behalf of the company. Depending on your profits over the next six months, I will bring you on as a full time partner," he declared proudly. Edward's face lit up further. He had been waiting for such an opportunity and had felt ready for quite some time. He was pleased to see his father had confidence in him.

"Father, what level of transactions do you mean?" he asked excitedly.

"The current value of your half of the trust is about $30,000," Carlisle told him. Edward was extremely satisfied. This was large sum, and he could do a lot with it. He already had some ideas and was quite sure he would make his father proud.

"Thank you, Sir," he told his father solemnly with a hand shake. "I won't let you down."

"Excellent," Carlisle replied clapping Edward on the back. "I'll have the paper work drawn up by the end of the week."

In the end, Edward needed no extra effort to have Isabella invited to the party. Jasper came to him begging for it. Evidently, Alice Brandon had befriended the girl and was insistent that she be included in the party. Jasper wanted to do whatever it took to please Miss Brandon but feared his brother's opinion was all that stood in the way. Edward would surely feel she was beneath the Cullen brothers' attention. So, he decided in true little brother fashion simply to beg. He approached him after another tennis match, which he blithely let Edward win.

"So, Edward, it appears all is set for our beach party on Saturday afternoon," he began casually. He had no idea that Edward was fully aware he had thrown the match and was waiting for him to ask for a favor. "The gazebo is finished and will be painted tomorrow," he went on as nonchalantly as possible. Edward simply nodded and waited.

"I have been corresponding daily with Miss Brandon, you may be aware," he continued tentatively, and Edward rolled his eyes. He spoke of nothing else and practically read the letters aloud at breakfast each morning. "She is very excited to visit the island." The pair continued across the lawn toward the house. Edward was spinning his racket around his wrist, still not responding. Jasper peeked sideways at his profile.

"Alice doesn't care much for the Gardiner sisters. It is her opinion that they are terrible gossips," Jasper reported offhandedly. Finally, Edward had had enough.

"For God's sakes, Jasper, what is it that you want to ask me? Stop beating around the bush and out with it!" he cried. Jasper dropped his racket in surprise and paused to retrieve it from the ground. When he stood back up, his face was flushed.

"Well, she's befriended Isabella Swan and was hoping that she could be included in the party. She won't feel comfortable otherwise. I know you don't care for the girl, but I wanted to ask you as a show of good support for your only brother, if you would allow her to be invited." Jasper kicked at the grass embarrassedly and waited for Edward to reject his request.

But, Edward was shouting with glee on the inside. He wanted to hug Jasper and skip across the grass at this turn of events. He would see Isabella again, and he wouldn't have to lift a finger to make it happen. No one would be the wiser. He forced a scowl onto his face.

"Well, as long as you don't include the likes of James Hunter in the group, I don't see what it could hurt. Mother approves of the girl," he said gruffly and took off again at a much faster gait towards the house. Jasper was surprised to note that Edward was whistling as he stalked away in a manner that was quite out of character.

The day of the beach party dawned sunny and warm. The weather was perfect for sailing so Jasper had insisted on taking the sailboat to the mainland to pick up the guests on his own. Edward suspected he didn't want to miss a single second of time he might spend with Miss Brandon but found he did not mind Jasper's silliness quite as much anymore. Edward remained behind to escort his mother down to the new gazebo and help the butler carry the picnic hamper that had been assembled by the kitchen staff earlier that morning.

Unfortunately for Esme, when Jasper announced the beach scheme, Alexandra Gardiner had insisted on joining Esme as the chaperone. Esme's dislike for the woman was well known within the household but she was forced to politeness by Carlisle's business dealings with Alexandra's husband. She was not looking forward to hours she would have spend listening to Mrs. Gardiner's outrageous braggadocio. She had been adamant that she and Edward be already at the beach when the guests arrived so she didn't have to entertain Mrs. Gardiner inside their home.

Edward helped his mother down the small wooden staircase that had been built to access the small beach from the grassy plateau above. She continued to cling to his arm across the sand as they approached the gazebo. Esme did not plan on bathing and would simply rest on the gazebo all afternoon. Edward had to admit the beach was outfitted in a very comfortable and attractive way.

The gazebo had a fresh coat of white paint, and its peaked roof provided a lovely shade for those who would gather underneath. There were several wicker chairs with comfortable cushions clustered around two tables which could be used for lunch or cards. There were even two reclining chairs if a guest elected to nap. A wooden post had been buried deep in the sand at the edge of the water. A rope fixated to the post was attached to an off shore buoy; this would allow a sturdy spot for the young ladies to cling if they wished to jump through the small waves. Jasper had even purchased two red and white striped tents to serve as a gentlemen's and ladies' changing area. Edward had promised Jasper that he would spread out several blankets on the sand when he arrived down here this morning. If guests chose to sit in the sun and enjoy their lunches, then they could do so without fear of sand making its way into their clothing.

Edward helped his mother into a chair that would allow her full view of the beach and water and began to unpack the picnic hamper. There were pitchers of iced tea and lemonade, and he set these out straight away.

"Mother, would you like me to pour you a glass?" he asked. She smiled at him and patted his hand.

"That would be lovely, dear," she answered. "Thank you so much for humoring Jasper with this endeavor. I know it's not your cup of tea, but it means so much to him." Edward blushed, thinking of his ulterior motives. He poured his mother a large glass of lemonade and placed it in front of her.

"Oh, Mother, I like to see Jasper happy, too. It was nothing," he told her. She patted his hand again and looked out over the water.

"We are so lucky to have such a lovely home," she murmured. Edward continued to busy himself unpacking the picnic. He found cold salmon, sliced lamb and a loaf of bread for sandwiches, along with tomatoes and cucumbers. There was also violet-infused butter to make the bread easier to slice thinly and give an extra touch of class to the occasion. He was pleased to see fruit tarts for dessert. Mary, their cook, made the best fruit tarts he had ever tasted.

Once he was done unpacking the picnic, Edward fulfilled his promise to Jasper by laying out the blankets, chatting with his mother all the while. Finally, Edward looked up and saw the bathing party descending the wooden stairs to the beach. Jasper descended first with Mrs. Gardiner on his arm and helped her to pick her way carefully across the sand. The Gardiner sisters came next with Tatiana and Irene clutching each other by the elbows to keep steady until they were safely on the sand. Edward did not like the predatory gaze he was receiving from Tatiana.

Catherine Gardiner trailed meekly behind her sisters, but Garrett Vanderbilt was close behind her, his hand hovering near the small of her back but not touching, vigilant lest she stumble. Catherine did not notice his close regard, but Garrett's gaze never lingered far from the youngest Gardiner for the whole of the afternoon. Laurent King and Peter Astor came next. They were both deeply engrossed in a heated debate and were gesticulating wildly. Edward idly wondered whatever the topic of the discussion could be until he saw who brought up the rear of the party.

Isabella Swan and Alice Brandon clutched each other's hands as they descended the steep wooden stairs. Edward wanted to throttle Peter and Laurent for their unchivalrous behavior; they should be escorting the ladies or at least allowing them to go ahead. He didn't have much time to ponder his anger toward the other men after he had a moment to take in Isabella's appearance. She was wearing a simple white day dress with black boots, but she was as beautiful as one of the stars of the moving pictures. Her dark hair was pinned back but curled over her shoulders. The wind from the sailboat had pinked her cheeks. Edward knew he was staring, but he couldn't look away.

The girls reached the stairs and were able to direct their attention away from their feet. Edward's breath caught in his throat when she lifted her head and looked directly at him. Their eyes met, and he knew with great conviction there would never be another for him. She looked back down immediately, and the pink in her cheeks deepened further with embarrassment. Edward was fascinated, and it was all he could do to keep from going to straight to her. Unfortunately, distraction presented itself immediately; Tatiana had reached the gazebo and was headed right for where Edward was standing near the top of the steps.

"Edward!" she called. "We're so pleased to be invited to your new beach. What a lovely day!" She gripped the wooden railing and climbed into the gazebo's shade. Irene was right behind her and quickly made her way over to her mother, who Jasper was helping to settle into the cushioned chair next to Esme. Tatiana, however, paused and laid her hand familiarly on Edward's forearm. He had to fight the urge to shake it off immediately.

"Was this all a scheme to get some ladies out here on your island? We are all quite at your mercy, you know?" Tatiana flirted unsubtly. She cocked her head and looked up at him from under her lashes. A coquettish smile curved her lips. Edward could not stop his eyes from sliding off of Tatiana, searching for Isabella still down on the beach. The smile dropped from Tatiana's face as she turned to see what could possibly be more interesting than her company. The entire party had reached the gazebo by now, so luckily for Edward, his interest in Isabella was not readily discernible.

The group mingled underneath the gazebo's shade, and the structure quickly became crowded. The girls hovered near Mrs. Gardiner and Mrs. Cullen where they rested in their chairs. Irene glowered at Alice who had commanded Jasper's complete attention for the entire sail and was continuing to do so now that they were on the island. Tatiana glanced about in a bored fashion, Miss Brandon and Miss Swan both below her attention. Alice was chatty by nature and actually quite thick-skinned, so she attempted to engage the Gardiner sisters in conversation.

"How wonderful to have a private beach on one's own property!" she exclaimed. "My home in Charleston is in town but the river is only a short walk away. But there is nowhere to enter the water, even if it weren't completely filthy. I expect I would be waterlogged and brown as the yard man from going in everyday if I had my own beach."

"Doesn't everyone in Charleston have a plantation on the ocean?" asked Catherine, who thought Alice was lively and smart, despite what her sisters said. Irene elbowed Catherine in the side, but she pretended not to notice.

"Well, a lot of people have do have plantations," Alice admitted, "but my father is a Navy Admiral. We have some family land north of the city that does grow cotton, but there's no house. My father is gone quite a lot of the time." Catherine had never visited the south and found this all very interesting. She wanted to ask more but was acutely aware of Tatiana tapping her foot impatiently off to the side. She was saved from the awkward gathering when Jasper approached the girls.

"Ladies, the gentlemen have decided on some bathing before we enjoy the picnic. Would you like to change into your bathing costumes?" he asked. Isabella had been staring at the ground, too shy to consider speaking to the other women present. She knew how little the Gardiners thought of her but was also incensed at the way her dear friend Alice was being treated by Tatiana and Irene. She was beginning to think the trip was a mistake.

Peter, Garrett, and Laurent were already headed toward the striped tent set aside as a gentleman's changing area. They jostled and joked their way down the gazebo stairs and across the sand. A footman was following, carrying their cases. A maid was standing nearby where the ladies cases had been neatly stacked by the servants. She waited patiently, ready for instructions, and Jasper put out his hand, intending to lead Miss Brandon down the stairs.

As soon as Isabella looked up and took in the scene, her eyes met Edward's where he stood just behind Jasper. She had to stifle a gasp at the intensity she saw simmering in his green eyes. She could almost believe that he felt the same about her as she did about him. Edward struggled to look away lest he betray himself, but Isabella was so beautiful today, and she gazed at him in such a way that made his heart truly ache. Finally, the gaze was broken when Alice took Jasper's hand, and the two began moving toward the stairs.

Alice noticed that Jasper's usually disinterested brother was seemingly fascinated with something behind her. She turned, expecting to see Tatiana Gardiner making eyes at him, but was met with an unfriendly stare from Irene Gardiner. Tatiana was jabbing her finger into Catherine's chest, obviously speaking forcefully while Catherine tried to look anywhere but into Tatiana's livid face. Isabella, on the other hand, had turned to look out over the water, and had a lovely blush spread across her cheeks. Very interesting, thought Alice. Was Edward staring at Isabella? That could be a very interesting development, indeed. She vowed to watch them closely this afternoon.

Finally, the group was herded into the tents, and the young people began emerging in their bathing costumes. Jasper and Edward were matching in short sleeves and short pants in a navy blue and white striped pattern. Peter Astor was wearing something very similar, and Garrett had black and white stripes. Laurent was outfitted in a fully black costume. This was a group of gentlemen little interested in fashion risks.

The ladies had gone to a little more trouble. The Gardiner sisters wore matching bathing dresses with sailor collars and puffed short sleeves. Tatiana was pleased to see that she matched Edward in navy blue, while her sisters both wore black dresses trimmed in white. Alice had gone out on a limb in a brand new bright green dress trimmed with ruffles at the neck and sleeves. Its vibrant color matched her personality, but she knew it would be disparaged by the Gardiner sisters. She forgave them for it, knowing the negativity lay in jealousy. Alice was an understanding soul.

Alice was sorry to see the very plain black costume Isabella had chosen. She knew that Isabella had been very embarrassed by the gossip surrounding her fashion forward choice for the ball and had gone in the other direction for this outing. Alice knew she wouldn't win, however, and the Gardiners would ridicule this dress for being too plain. She wished she could have convinced Isabella to wear the lovely lavender confection that she knew was hanging in Isabella's closet at the moment.

Under the watchful eyes of Esme and Alexandra, the young people began to enjoy the water. It seemed that Alice and Jasper could already silently communicate, and with a wink and a turn of her chin, Alice encouraged Jasper to pay some attention to Irene. Alice was not jealous and knew that it would make the afternoon easier on them all. Irene was gripping the tethered rope and shrieking with laughter as Jasper lightly gripped her elbow and helped her clear the small waves as they trundled to shore. Tatiana was distracted by her sister's good mood and was holding the tether on the other side, trying to outdo her sister by jumping the waves more gracefully.

Garrett had finally managed to engage Catherine in conversation, and they were talking earnestly as the waves lapped at their ankles. Catherine was not used to being asked her opinion or treated with any sort of deference and found that she enjoyed talking with the young Vanderbilt very much. Laurent was attempting to swim out to the buoy, and Peter was shouting encouragement while Alice looked on in envy. She could swim very well and would like to have raced Laurent but knew it wasn't lady-like.

Edward stood watching Laurent show off but quickly noticed that Isabella was hanging back from the water near Garrett and Catherine. He glanced at the gazebo, and his mother was deep in conversation with Alexandra. No one was watching him; he made a split second decision to try and speak with Isabella privately. He continued to observe the scene around him but subtly began to move toward Isabella's spot on the sand. She was studying the waves as they met the shore, absentmindedly kicking her right foot back and forth. She looked up in surprise when she felt him come near to her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Swan," he greeted her nervously. "I hope you are having a pleasant afternoon. You are very quiet today." Isabella blushed and looked back down.

"Yes, I am enjoying myself. It was kind of you to include me in the party," she told him and made the mistake of looking back up into his face. A jolt of electricity went through her when her eyes met his, and it made her feel as if she were overcome by sun stroke.

"It wouldn't have been the same without you, of course," Edward assured her, fervently meaning his words. "I hope you won't accuse me of gossiping if I tell you that I hear congratulations may soon be in order." Edward cringed at his obvious fishing, but Isabella was not offended. In fact, she desperately wanted to assure him that her heart was no one's but his. She knew this would be an impossible declaration but wished for it just the same.

"No, sir, I have been made no offer of marriage if that is what you mean, but my father has a few suitable candidates in mind," she had to add honestly. Edward's heart leapt and filled with hope. She sounded happy to remain single.

"But you don't find these candidates suitable?" he asked once again engaging her more than was proper. But he couldn't help himself! Isabella looked out over the sound and wondered why it was so easy to speak to and confide in him.

"No, I would prefer to remain at home and care for my father. It would be less…um…controversial, I believe," she almost whispered these words, wanting to add more, to tell him her heart belonged to him and only him. She looked so upset that Edward attempted to lighten the mood.

"And why is that, I wonder? I understand that James Hunter is quite the dancer," he tried to joke, but his voice came out like a croak, his throat clenching around Hunter's name. Isabella's eyes jerked to him sharply, and she watched him silently for a moment. Edward felt like she could see into his soul and discern his true feelings. He held his breath waiting to see what she would say.

"Mr. Hunter is a fine dancer, but his manner is rough, and, I fear, uncaring. I would prefer a kinder, gentler soul, but I know I am not destined to have what I would truly desire," she found herself saying while directly looking into his eyes. Isabella was shocked by her own retort. It was too much, too familiar, and surely he would divine her meaning. It was her turn to hold her breath and wait.

Edward was perfectly still for several seconds. Then, his chest filled with hope and elation. Could she possibly mean she preferred _him_? If so, there was no way he could be strong enough to stay away from her, no matter how doomed the situation seemed. He stepped even closer to her, his face just inches away from hers. His eyes sought hers and refused to let her look away.

"Miss Swan, do you mean that someone specific has captured your regard?" he asked, his voice rough with emotion. She nodded imperceptibly, their eyes still locked. There was no mistaking her intent; she felt just as he did. His heart soared, and he made a decision that he knew would mean no going back.

"Edward!" that shrill call brought them both crashing back to earth. "Aren't you going to come into the water? Why are you standing there by yourself?" Tatiana was calling him from the water finally getting tired of being ignored. Edward felt his hatred for her grow as she not only interrupted the most intense moment of his life but also dismissed Isabella's very presence.

"Yes, I'll be right there. Miss Swan has twisted her ankle. I'm helping her back to the gazebo," he called back to Tatiana at the water's edge. He cast about wildly for a plan, some chance to speak with Isabella again. His eye caught the small beach across the sound at the bottom of the cliff where Swan Court was perched.

"Sorry, you'll have to rest in the gazebo for a few minutes, so no one gets suspicious," he began speaking very quickly. Isabella nodded in a daze. Edward was acknowledging her; he seemed to return her feelings. This must be a dream, she thought. "Is there a path down to that small beach I see below Swan Court?" Her eyes darted to the place he meant, and she nodded decisively.

"Yes, my father used to bathe there as a young man. His wife didn't care for it, but I believe the path is still passable," she answered him lowly, hardly believing what was being discussed.

"Meet me there at midnight," Edward said. The words were momentous, and they both knew the disaster that could come from such an agreement. Isabella thought of her father and all he had sacrificed to claim her as his child publicly, but this thought didn't cause her to hesitate.

"I'll be there," she answered, her eyes meeting his without a trace of apprehension.

And then, Edward helped her up the stairs into the gazebo, turning her over to his mother who began fussing and arranging her on a comfortable cushion. Edward turned without a backward glance, lest he give himself away, both elation and dread filling his belly in equal measure. What had he done? But he couldn't make himself feel the proper fear; he was just excited to be able to see her again, come what may.

As he made his way back to the water, resigned to entertaining Tatiana for the rest of the afternoon, he did not notice with what interest Alice was watching him.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks so much to Musette Blanchard for recommending this little tale on the Fanfic Angst H00rs Facebook group. I have so many new readers and kind reviewers!

A quick note about some of my 1901 characters' names: Tanya and Sasha are diminutive forms (like nicknames) of the proper Russian names Tatiana and Alexandra. These diminutives wouldn't be used outside the family, so I had to changes things a little from canon to make this society proper. My character Alexandra Gardiner claims to be related to Russian royalty and has a Russian name herself. She gave her oldest daughter a Russian name but went with English names for her other daughters. Hence Sasha becomes Alexandra, Tanya becomes Tatiana, Irina becomes Irene, and Katarina/Kate becomes Katherine. This is minor and probably no one really cares, but I actually took Russian so it would bother me otherwise.

So, on with the next chapter…

**Chapter 10**

2013

Ness awoke with a lingering frisson of unease after her evening at the Pub. She regretted that the walk to the waterfront with Jake hadn't occurred and hoped he wasn't annoyed with her. But she also felt guilty for possibly hurting Nate's feelings, although she couldn't fathom what he was thinking to approach her while she was with Jake. She sighed in aggravation as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes in front of the bathroom mirror. This type of dilemma was so foreign to her. She considered asking Rosalie for advice but decided Rosalie didn't know much if she would choose Royce over Emmett.

At least nothing had happened to Serena. She had been locked in her room with Embry when Ness and Rosalie got home. Ness knocked and received a shouted "Fuck you!" through the door. Relief had overpowered indignation, and Ness had gone to bed smiling and shaking her head.

Ness pushed all thoughts of her personal life aside and focused on the professional. Today she planned to visit Swan Court and then pitch her thesis idea to Shelley Cope. Rosalie had been up at the crack of dawn and was already at Osgood-Pell organizing her excavation. She hoped to start it before too many more days passed.

After she was dressed, Ness put through a call to Mrs. Goff, who was the managing curator for Swan Court. Her secretary transferred Ness immediately, and Ness marveled at the ease with which her visit was confirmed. Mrs. Goff welcomed her to arrive at any time that morning and arranged for someone to grant her access to any restricted areas she needed to see. Satisfied that her day was going according to plan, Ness took some time to pour a bowl of cereal and sit down at the kitchen table.

"Good morning," Emmett entered the kitchen and pulled open the refrigerator. He reached in and grabbed a Diet Coke, popping the top and leaning back against the refrigerator door. "How's it going? You and Rosalie went back to the Pub last night?" Emmett tried to look casual, but Ness could tell he really wanted information. She wondered again what Rosalie could possibly see in Royce.

"Yeah, we did," Ness confirmed. "And Jake warned me about Royce. He's not sure about his character," she told Emmett soberly. "He implied Royce was only interested in a summer fling." Emmett tried to preserve his casual stance but Ness could see his jaw clench and his fist tighten around the can he held.

"Summer fling?" Emmett muttered. Ness knew he was interested in much more than that with Rosalie. She awkwardly cleared her throat.

"I don't have much relationship experience," she started and thought wryly about her own situation, "but maybe you should tell Rosalie how you feel. She might get rid of Royce if she knew she had other options."

"I don't know, Ness," Emmett said stepping away from the fridge to rub his toe over an imaginary stain on the floor. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, eyes focused down. "She doesn't remember me from the conference, so what are the odds she finds me even remotely interesting. It would probably just make things uncomfortable in the house for the rest of the summer." He shrugged. "But I'll definitely keep my eye on that guy." Ness nodded that she would, too. She grabbed her bowl and rinsed it in the sink.

"Well, I'm headed to Swan Court for a little research," she told Emmett. He waved her out of the kitchen and wished her a good day. He was headed back to Cullen House to work on some of the stone carvings. When Ness left him, he looked deep in thought.

Swan Court was both older and smaller than the grand Cullen House, but Ness, with her trained architectural historian's eye, could see the similarities especially in the stonemasonry. She idly wondered if the same stonemason had worked on both constructions and decided to try and prove that in the archives later.

Mrs. Goff met her at the ticket counter herself and offered a personal tour of the house. Charles Swan had built the house as a young man and lived in it every summer of the rest of his long life. He died without an heir in his nineties during the Depression. Swan Court had been one of the first museum houses in Newport but had quickly been followed by a few others. Several families had been forced to sell off their homes due to the poor economy in the 1930s. That had been the end of the Golden Age in Newport.

The house had been kept as close as possible to its state when Charles Swan died, so the furnishings and decorations were classic of the Roaring 20's. The entire home had a distinctly masculine feel. One of the most beautiful rooms was Charles' office. It was paneled with dark wood, the walls covered with bookcases. The desk was large and imposing, probably hand made in the 1840s, if Ness was correct. She figured it had belonged to Charles' father. The office was in the corner of the downstairs and had a beautiful view of the water. She could imagine Charles taking a break from work and gazing out over the sea, maybe with a cigar in his hand. She knew she was looking in the direction of Cullen House and decided to explore the grounds when the tour was over.

Charles' bedroom was also lavishly decorated with an enormous carved four poster bed that probably weighed a thousand pounds. It was draped with heavy and dark fabrics that matched the curtains. Ness was surprised that it did not have a water view. It was attached to a modern (for the time) bathroom which was beautifully tiled with pastel accents very out of character with the rest of the decor. Mrs. Goff led Ness through the bathroom into another bedroom that was blandly but tastefully decorated in beige and white. Here was the sea view that Ness had expected for the master bedroom. She was surprised that a guest room would be situated so and connect with Charles' bedroom. She said as much to Mrs. Goff.

"Well, this was Mrs. Swan's bedroom, of course," Mrs. Goff told her. "Susan Swan died young, and Charles was devastated by all accounts. We've learned from letters that he didn't allow the room to be used after that, but I guess someone at least convinced him to keep it furnished and decorated."

"That's why the bathroom is decorated so contrary to the rest of Charles' style," Ness guessed. "He probably didn't change it." Mrs. Goff smiled and nodded. She didn't get very many visitors to the house who were as interested as Ness. Not many interns used the property for their projects, and she was enjoying herself today immensely.

"Charles had to deal with a lot of tragedy in his life," she told Ness getting warmed up on her subject. "He also lost his daughter not long after his wife." Ness felt a tingle go up her spine.

"Yes, I think I heard something about that. What happened?" she tried to ask calmly and casually. Since she, as a Cullen, had known nothing about Edward Cullen and Rosalie had found the information fairly deep in the archives, she wasn't sure if Mrs. Goff would have details. But if anyone would know, it would be the house curator.

"Her name was Isabella, and she went over the cliff right outside, pushed." She pointed out the window in the direction of the Cliff Walk and the water. "Lover's quarrel, they say. It was quite a scandal in its day, although there's not a lot you can find in the archive about it. I'm sure the influential families around here were able to bury the unsavory details. The only thing I've ever seen about it was a newspaper clipping from New York." Ness nodded since this was exactly what Rosalie had told her. Mrs. Goff motioned for Ness to follow her out of the room. They went back through the second floor parlor at the top of the stairs and entered the opposite wing of the house.

"This was probably Isabella's room," Mrs. Goff said as she led Ness into the bedroom at the opposite corner of the house. The first thing Ness saw when she entered the room was the water view. Something drew her to the window, but before she could look down over the expanse of lawn and water, she was gripped with a crushing feeling of despair. It took her breath away, and she had to steady herself against the glass. The world was ending; she would never be happy again.

The overpowering emotion passed as quickly as it had come. Ness looked around in bewilderment. Mrs. Goff noticed something was amiss. "Are you all right?" she queried, concern writ large on her face. Ness nodded slowly afraid to answer too hastily. Was she all right? Before she turned her back to the window, she noticed a small flat area of sand at the bottom of the cliff. It faced the beach on Cullen Island where Rosalie's excavation was to take place. And she could just make out what looked like path amongst the boulders that made up the cliff's face.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just a sad story; I guess I let it get to me a little," Ness said. She was able to take in the room's furnishings now. It was impersonal but lovely, decorated in blue and cream. There was no sign that a young lady had lived here. She wondered aloud if Charles had redecorated after his daughter's death.

"We don't know that," Mrs. Goff told her as they peered into the en suite bathroom and moved back into the hallway. "We don't have a lot of information about Isabella. Her father didn't write about her often. We know from his accounting logs that he held a ball in her honor in 1901, probably a coming out party, and that he paid for her boarding school in France. She probably only lived here for a year at most before she died."

"How sad," murmured Ness, her thoughts a tangle. Mrs. Goff continued talking as the two descended the stairs back to the main floor.

"There's more mystery surrounding the girl because we don't have a birth certificate. Susan Swan was not her mother, and Charles wasn't married before, so that's very odd." That statement stirred something in Ness' memory. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't voice it. She was missing something but could do nothing about it. Ness frowned, but Mrs. Goff was still talking and what she said recaptured Ness attention immediately.

"…she's buried in the Trinity Church cemetery…" she was saying.

"Excuse me," Ness exclaimed a bit sharply. "Do you mean Isabella Swan?" Mrs. Goff looked at her in confusion.

"Well, yes, of course. She died here and that was where she and her father attended church," she trailed off a little surprised by the intensity of Ness' reaction.

For some reason, Ness thought of the carving in her family pew. It featured the name of the mysterious Edward Cullen's mother, Esme, and the name Renee, which Rosalie had been unable to link to anyone. Now she learned that Isabella's mother was unknown. Could she be Renee? The newspaper clipping to which Mrs. Goff had referred had accused Edward Cullen of Isabella's death, but Ness felt sure they had it wrong. As a historian Ness knew she was jumping to wild conclusions, but was there a way to find out for sure? And why did it matter so much to her? This wouldn't help her with her thesis project and looking into it would probably just waste time.

"Mrs. Goff, thanks so much for the tour. I'm just going to take a look around outside at the lawn and grounds. I really appreciate you taking the time to show me around. I think I've already got some great information for my project," Ness tried to be polite but her mind was racing. She had already decided to visit the cemetery, but first she wanted to check out the small beach she had seen from the second floor. She wasn't sure why it was so important to her, but her instincts told her to climb down that path.

"Oh, Ness, it was my pleasure," Mrs. Goff replied. "Good luck with your research. What was your last name so I can be sure to find and read it when you're finished?" Ness froze having already taken a few steps away toward the front entrance. She had deliberately not disclosed her surname, and now really didn't want to share it, knowing that Mrs. Goff had read the newspaper clipping and probably knew that Edward Cullen was generally thought of as Isabella's murderer. But she had to answer.

"Cullen," she said with resignation. "My name is Ness Cullen." Mrs. Goff's eyes widened and lips parted in shock. She tried to compose herself quickly, but Ness saw all her emotions play out. Ness watched her struggle with what to say next.

"I see," she said tentatively. "Cullen. Hmm, surely, you're not related to the Cullen House Cullens, though." Ness sighed and forced herself to smile.

"Yes, in fact, my grandfather sold it to developers many years ago," she said quietly. Mrs. Goff looked decidedly uncomfortable, so Ness decided to put her out of her misery.

"My roommate found the newspaper clipping about Isabella Swan's death, so I know what else was in it. That's one of the reasons why I was interested in Swan Court. But, I'd really like just to focus on the architecture here." The last was a plea for Mrs. Goff to drop the issue, and thankfully, the older woman went along with it.

"Of course, I can tell you are very professional. Again, it was a pleasure to meet you, and good luck." Mrs. Goff wasn't rude, but Ness could tell she was anxious to get away from her. She was a kind woman, but definitely embarrassed right now. Ness gave her a small smile and a wave and headed out to the lawn, anxious to get down the cliff.

Ness walked around the side of the house and stood on the large back patio. It extended from large glass doors which led inside to the house's ballroom. Ness tried to picture it decorated, the doors thrown open during a grand ball, like the one Mrs. Goff had described. The view was definitely beautiful. The patio flowed into a large, green lawn, meticulously maintained by the NCPS landscaping staff. Ness thought briefly of Nate, picturing the way he moved with confidence and enthusiasm when talking about or performing his job. She was sorry that he couldn't be that way all the time but realized they shared shyness as a stumbling block. Jake had confidence to spare, and that was why Ness found him so exciting. Just thinking about him gave her stomach a flutter.

Ness focused on the issue at hand and started across the lawn toward Cliff Walk. She paused at the small retaining wall where she had had the strange experience with Rosalie. She climbed on top and looked carefully along the rocks until she located the small dirt path she'd seen from upstairs. It was tricky but looked safe enough. She glanced around to make sure no one saw her. There were many signs warning hikers to stay on the path.

The path was steep, but she had on sturdy sandals and picked her way down slowly. Soon, she was standing on the sandy spit of land. She paused to catch her breath, hands on her hips, gazing out over the small strip of water toward Cullen Island. There was a small group of people on the beach across from her. Ness was pleased to recognize Rosalie's blond head. The group seemed to have marked off squares with rope, designating the sections for excavation. It actually looked like they had already started in one area. Everyone was crowded around brooms and digging tools in hand.

Ness put her hands up to shield her eyes and try to get a better look, when a strong breeze suddenly kicked up. She shivered and dropped her hands to rub her bare upper arms. That's when a cloud blotted out the sun, and she realized tendrils of fog were spreading toward her from around the tip of the peninsula. Her uneasiness grew quickly as she recalled her experience on the other beach just the day before. She started to turn to clamor back up the path, but suddenly there was someone next to her.

Ness whirled toward the interloper, but instead of facing someone as she expected, the presence remained in her periphery like it was pivoting around her. She stood still. There was a girl next to her; Ness could see tendrils of long brown hair blowing in the wind off to her side. "Who's there?" she asked, her voice shaking. She didn't try to turn her head and just waited. The fog thickened.

Ness' scream froze in her throat as the girl slowly moved into her line of sight. Her skin was pale, unnaturally so, and there were dark hollows around her eyes. The eyes themselves were dark brown but glowed with a mystical light. They bored into Ness. Her dark hair swirled around her beautiful but frightening face. She was dressed in an old-fashioned cream-colored dress that tied at the waist with a silk ribbon. There were lace details at the neck, sleeves, and hem. Ness wanted to run, but she was rooted to the spot. The girl was fully in front of her now and took another step toward her.

"I need him," the girl pleaded, raising her hands imploringly toward Ness. "Please, you can help me," she said. Then, she flickered and vanished. The fog immediately dispersed, and Ness was blinded by the sun in her eyes. She was shaking as she covered her eyes. Had that really just happened, or was she losing it?

Ness moved mechanically, her mind blank, as she climbed the slope back to Swan Court. She rested on the retaining wall in an attempt to recover from the incident. She didn't know how she knew, but she was sure that she had just encountered Isabella Swan. She reconsidered what had occurred on Cullen Island. Had she also seen and heard Edward Cullen? Were they looking for each other? But why would he be on the island if he had run away all those years ago? There were definitely several pieces of the puzzle missing.

Ness was startled out of her musings by her cell phone ringing. She considered letting it go to voice mail but pulled it out of her bag and glanced at the screen. It was Rosalie.

"Hello?" Her voice sounded shaky even to her own ears. What was she going to say? Should she confide in Rosalie?

"Ness?" Rosalie asked uncertainly. "Are you all right? You sound funny." Ness let out a forced laugh.

"Sure, I'm fine. I just finished touring Swan Court. I got lots of great information," Ness decided not to mention that she'd seen Rosalie on the beach. That would require more details of her Swan Court visit than she was willing to share at this point. "What's up?" She managed to steady her voice this time.

"Oh, okay, you didn't sound right for a second. Anyway, we got the excavation site plotted out and did a test dig. You won't believe what we found," Rosalie told her excitedly. Ness took a deep breath. She had a feeling things were about to get even more complicated.

"What?" she asked as Rosalie had intended her to do.

"Charred wood with traces of white and green paint," she replied. "It looks like the gazebo burned down," Rosalie concluded. Ness felt chill run up her spine. The now familiar sensation of something forgotten just out of her reach plagued her once again. She didn't know what to say.

"Ness?" Rosalie called across the line. "What do you think? I'm going to hit the archives hard and try and find something." Ness struggled to come up with something normal to say.

"I need to hit the archives hard myself," she finally managed.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Rosalie asked again. "I know tomorrow's Saturday, but I think I'll head over tomorrow. Not tonight, though, it's Friday. Back to the Pub for us, right? Are you in?" Ness wanted to say no, that she was headed to archives right now to try and make some sense of what had happened to her. But, she found herself agreeing with Rosalie. She probably did need some relaxation, some distance, some time to try and clarify her experience. So, she found herself agreeing with Rosalie.

"Sure, I'm in. See you at home."

Well, Ness is getting in a bit deeper. Unfortunately, I lied about alternating time periods chapter to chapter here on out. I can't keep that promise, although the next chapter will be 1901. Thanks again to all the new reviewers. Please keep it up!

EG


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11**

1901

The rest of the afternoon passed in blurry haze for Isabella. She didn't trust herself to interact normally with the other young people so she stayed put in the gazebo with Mrs. Cullen and Mrs. Gardiner. Mrs. Cullen was kind and fussed over her faux ankle injury. Mrs. Gardiner acted bored and pretty much ignored her. Watching Edward romp with Tatiana in the surf was difficult, but she knew it was just an act. He had declared himself to her, and they were meeting in secret again tonight. Isabella was apprehensive and knew the consequences of her decision could be dire, but she could not deny the exhilaration she felt in knowing Edward returned her feelings. That was all that mattered now.

Edward joined the small party on the sailboat back to the mainland as evening descended but allowed Jasper to pilot the craft. He tried to stay nonchalant, but his acting ability could only go so far. He wanted to keep eyes on Isabella as long as possible.

Isabella and Alice took seats together on the most forward bench on deck away from the others. Tatiana and Irene crowded near the helm, while Peter and Garrett helped with the sails. Edward sat alone on the aft lip of the deck so he could keep a view of the entire party. Katherine helped her mother below deck out of the sun.

Alice could sense a tension in her friend and watched her carefully. She was suspicious about the supposed ankle injury and the few moments when Edward and Isabella were obviously speaking alone. Then, they had avoided each other the rest of the afternoon. She tried to ask Isabella about her ankle, but Isabella was so distracted she could hardly string a sentence together. Alice sighed and gave up. Maybe she could get her to talk another day. She hoped Edward Cullen hadn't been unkind; she would also try and get some information from Jasper, she decided.

Unfortunately, Isabella's elation was short-lived. As Jasper maneuvered the sailboat close to the mainland dock, Peter hopped the short distance with the lines to tie her up. His movement drew her eye to the road at the end of the dock. A black steam car was parked there, and its driver, dapperly dressed and wearing a cocky smirk, was known to her. It was James Hunter.

As the sailboat was secured, he got out of the car and strolled down the long dock toward them. Peter was helping the ladies onto the dock one by one. Alice had sensed Isabella stiffen and had lingered on the deck with her, knowing she was dreading the coming confrontation. Finally, Isabella had no choice but to be lifted off the boat. She glanced back at Edward who standing rigidly on the bow, his fists clenched and his face furious.

James greeted Peter and Garrett by clapping them on the back and heartily shaking their hands. Finally, he reached Isabella and greeted her.

"Miss Swan, I was just visiting with your father, and he suggested that I collect you and Miss Brandon from the marina when I pointed it out it would be much quicker than his carriage. It's the least I could do since I wasn't able to entertain you during the party today." This last sentence he spoke with a sneer flung toward the Cullen brothers. His words were directed to Isabella but were obviously a statement of ownership over her to the crowd assembled. Isabella prayed nothing had been definitely decided between him and her father while she was gone that day.

"Yes, of course, that's very kind of you," Isabella murmured, her eyes on the ground. Alice bit her lip, knowing Isabella's feeling about James Hunter but could see no way out of the situation. The two girls held each other's arms as they made their way down the dock toward James' steam wagon. Their maids trailed behind, carrying the girls' things. Isabella glanced over her shoulder once, hoping to catch Edward's eye, but Tatiana was blocking her view. A sour taste filled her mouth, but she reminded herself that she would see him again in just a few hours.

Tatiana was delighting in the spectacle. She enjoyed seeing Isabella treated like property and was amused by the thought of mousy Isabella married to the rough and tumble Hunter. There was something appealing about him, she thought. Of course, he was below her station, but he was handsome and cunning. She was sure Isabella would be miserable with him and that pleased her.

Tatiana turned to call a farewell up to Edward on the bow and caught him staring after Isabella and Alice. Her eyes narrowed. She thought back on the day and realized Edward had been looking at and around Isabella quite a bit. She found that realization unsettling. It wasn't possible that he found her interesting or attractive, was it? Tatiana shook her head disbelievingly. Her mother and sisters were further ahead almost off the dock, but James had lingered behind and was still chatting with Peter and Garrett. She thrust her arm at James as she came up even with him, forcing him to escort her up the planks.

"Control your girl," she warned him. "She's done something. Edward has been watching her closely all day." James raised his eyebrows at her.

"Indeed?" he drawled. "She is beautiful, which is reason enough for me to watch her," he leered at Isabella's backside as she leaned over the door of his car up ahead. Tatiana made an impatient sound.

"Just keep her away from Edward. He's meant for me. We mustn't let anything get in the way of our futures now, hmm?" she snapped. James laughed, unconcerned.

"Point taken," he agreed. "The only thing more beautiful than Isabella is her father's money, which I won't let slip away, trust me." Tatiana smiled, having delivered her warning and pulled her arm away from James. She joined her mother and sisters without a good-bye.

In the meantime, Jasper was preparing the sailboat to return to the island. He noticed Edward was pacing the bow distractedly, obviously upset about something.

"What's with you, Edward? Did you not have a good time today?" Jasper asked his brother. Edward was tugging at his hair, a reliable sign that he was agitated. Jasper was confused.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Edward muttered and busied himself helping Jasper with the boat. It was getting dark now, and they needed to get home. But he wasn't fine, of that he was sure. James Hunter and Charles Swan would surely come to agreement soon, and Isabella would be engaged. His parents would never agree to allow him to marry her instead. The situation went beyond just simple midnight tryst. A big decision would have to be made, and Edward was pretty sure he was prepared to see this through to the end.

Isabella had dutifully allowed Angela to get her ready for bed that evening. Her father had remained in his study and had not joined her for dinner. She was thankful for this development, feeling sure he would have seen through her attempts at a calm veneer. Angela had eyed her suspiciously throughout the bedtime routine. His absence also meant there had been no final agreement with James Hunter.

Midnight was approaching, and Isabella was now restlessly pacing her bedroom. She had dressed herself in a day dress and boots suitable for scrambling over rocks. A heavy wrap lay draped over her vanity stool, awaiting the moment she would pick it up and actually leave the house. For some reason, the act of donning the wrap had become symbolic to Isabella. It would mean she was really going to go through with this.

Isabella was not completely naïve. She knew she was not self-sufficient or capable in a bourgeois sense. She may have been low born, but she had been raised like an heiress. Since her father had removed her to France, she had received every convenience that a proper young lady should have. She had assistance when dressing, eaten the finest foods, stayed in the loveliest accommodations, and had never ventured outside in the dark alone. So, the idea of climbing down the cliff outside had her terrified. But she would do it for Edward.

However, fear of the dark was not the alone thing that frightened her this evening. She knew that she would run away with Edward if he asked her. She loved her father and was grateful to him, but she was sure he did not understand her. She would give her father up if it meant having Edward and avoiding what she was sure would be a miserable marriage to James Hunter. He had been horrible that afternoon during the car ride, leering and smirking the entire time. He hadn't even limited his attention to her, behaving insufferably towards Alice as well.

No, Isabella was quite resolute in her decision to leave with Edward. Even if it meant a much less comfortable life than the one she had been living. But she wasn't sure that an elopement was what Edward was proposing.

Isabella's mother had been her father's mistress, so Isabella, more so than any of the other young ladies she had spent time with that summer, understood that when men indicated that they wanted a woman, there were a few different things they could mean. Isabella considered what she would do in this scenario all evening and had come to the conclusion that it didn't matter what Edward was proposing. She would give herself to him in any way she could. It was her only chance at happiness, however short-lived that might be. But, Isabella thought Edward was more honorable than that when she thought back to his sincerity and kindness at the ball and at church that cold, rainy morning. That settled, Isabella quickly snatched the wrap from the stool and swathed herself. She stole silently down the stairs, through the kitchen, out the door, and across the lawn, keeping the electric lantern turned off until she reached the edge of the cliff.

Edward was lost in his own musings as he slipped from his own home and made his way to the pleasure beach. When he and Jasper had returned to the island on the sailboat, he had casually suggested that the small rowboat be moved to the beach for them to use on future outings to further amuse the party guests. Jasper had applauded the idea and been pleased that Edward had recovered his good humor after brooding on the sailboat.

Edward knew that he wanted Isabella, but he didn't know how he could make it happen. His only real option was elopement, and he knew his family would be furious at him. But he thought they would forgive him in time. Isabella spoke perfect French from her years living in Europe, so he supposed they could go there and stay until the scandal blew over. The question was how to put the plan into motion. He had his trust fund money available in a few days; the timing couldn't be better. He really didn't feel terribly guilty about taking the money. It was truly his, after all.

Edward decided his plan was sound. He would declare his love for Isabella, beg her to run away with him, and make preparations over the next few days. By next week, they would be in Europe. There was really no reason to drag it out; that would only increase their chances of being caught. The only wrench in the works would be if an engagement had been settled upon by Hunter and Charles Swan. Then, they would have to leave immediately, with or without the money.

Edward was well out on the water by the time he had worked out his strategy. It was a beautiful night; the moon was high, and the sky was clear. He barely needed the light shining from his lantern. His oars moved swiftly through the chilly water, barely disturbing the surface. He glanced up toward his destination and thought he spied a light winking on the top of the cliff. He watched as it slowly dipped below the edge and began to descend. It must be Isabella. She was actually coming to meet him. He hadn't realized he had doubted it until that moment, and his heart swelled.

The bottom of his little boat scraped the sand at the base of the cliff, and he nimbly jumped out onto the sand, barely wetting his shoes. He dragged the boat further onto the small spit of sand and turned to familiarize himself with the area. The beach was tiny in the extreme with several boulders littering the rocky shore. He recognized the edge of the trail and allowed his eyes to follow its path upward. He saw with dismay the state of disrepair in which the path was kept and frantically scanned higher, worried about Isabella traversing such a dangerous course.

She descended out of the darkness like a ghost, enveloped in white the way she was. Her hair was dark cloud, and her eyes were dark holes in her pale face. His breath caught in his throat, fear and desire overcoming him before he recovered his manners and rushed to help her finish her journey.

He clutched her hand to steady her over the final rocks and felt that stinging sensation once again when his skin touched her. He could see her better as she held her electric light aloft and recognized the shy, nervous smile on her face. He wanted to embrace her but it seemed too forward. He remained silent, trying to settle on an opening statement, as he helped her over the sand and offered the bench of his beached rowboat. When she was settled safely, he stood beside, cleared his throat, and finally spoke.

"Isabella, I want to thank you for agreeing to meet me. I know you are risking your very reputation, ah…" he trailed off. It all sounded so formal and wrong. He ran his hands through his hair in agitation. He was surprised when she lifted her hand to still his movement.

"Edward, I am yours. You have proven your good heart by showing me such kindness at our every meeting. I trust your intentions and agree to whatever you propose. My father doesn't understand me, and I fear James Hunter will destroy me. My only chance at happiness lies with you," she told him simply. He gaped at her in shock. Her blind trust in him was really too much. He wasted no time in clambering onto the seat beside her. He grasped her hands between his and gazed deeply into her eyes.

"I don't know what I've done to deserve an angel like you, but Heaven has put you in my path," he told her, the words coming easily now. "I want to spend the rest of my days basking in your perfection. Please be my wife." Isabella's smile was radiant. She knew she had been right to trust her instincts; Edward did love her and would make her an honest woman.

"Of course," she answered him, and he leaned forward, pressing his lips against her. The kiss was brief; it was all Edward could manage as his self-control was teetering on the brink. He would not kiss her as passionately as he desired until she was truly his. Isabella had no idea that a kiss could feel like that. The girls at school had giggled over the idea, but feeling Edward's lips on hers was the most perfect sensation that had ever existed. She wanted to lose herself in it, but it was over all too soon, and reality reared its ugly head.

"What are we going to do?" she asked him in a small voice as they sat, leaning their foreheads together.

"I have a plan," he told her. "But, first, I have to ask, have things been formalized between James Hunter and your father. I've been worried sick since I saw him on the dock," he admitted. Isabella smiled and shook her head.

"I didn't see my father when I returned home. He stayed ensconced in his study, and I think he would have told me had it been settled already. But, it was a bad sign that he agreed to allow Hunter to drive me home," Isabella warned. Edward nodded seriously in agreement.

"My father has released part of my trust, intending for me to invest it in the business. It is a large sum, and we could live quite comfortably in Europe for some time. It will be available to me within the week. As soon as I have it, we can be away," Edward explained excitedly. Isabella frowned, and Edward didn't like it. He lifted his index finger and touched her lips in an attempt to wipe away the expression. Isabella sighed.

"Edward, how can I take you away from your family and your legacy like this. It's too selfish!" she exclaimed. Edward lifted his hand and stroked her hair, reveling in his ability to touch her intimately like that. He could do that because she was his, he happily reminded himself.

"Isabella, love, don't worry. My family loves me. They will forgive me in time. We'll come back from Europe in a few years with grandchildren, and I'm sure it will be like none of this happened," he assured her. The confidence in his voice placated her, and she clutched his hand.

"All right, then, how do we proceed?" she asked him. "How will I know when it's time to leave?"

"Watch for me," he told her. "From the cliff top. Each night at midnight, I will go out to the beach with a light to let you know the plan is progressing. When you see the light on the rowboat, coming toward you, you'll know it's time to leave. You can gather your things and come down to meet me," he concluded. Isabella considered and decided the scheme was perfect. She especially liked that she could see his light every night until their departure. It would make it easier to bear being away from him now that she knew he was hers.

Isabella buried her face in Edward's chest and inhaled his scent deeply. She had never been this close to any man other than her father, and she reveled in the aromas of tobacco, spice, and musk. Edward wrapped his arms around her and once again thanked God for sending him his perfect match. He knew he would spend eternity with her.

Thanks to all those who read and review! A few of you have rec'd my story in various places, and I now have a lot more followers. Thank you so much to those who have enjoyed this enough to do something like that. I truly appreciate your support.

Some of you may know that I've had to pull one of my other stories, Eye on the Prize, in order to maintain my online anonymity. I do plan to re-post it with some minor modifications as soon as the current issue is resolved. Unfortunately, this may take up a bit of my time over the next week , so the next update of Cullen House may not be for another 3 weeks instead of my normal two, although I will try to keep on schedule.

The good news is that after Labor Day I will be going to a three day work week! I may have mentioned that I despise my job and have been looking for another one, but since I'm very specialized I haven't been able to find any other jobs in my niche in the area. I think the reduced schedule will make things tolerable. One good thing about being a military wife: if you don't like your job, you don't have to worry about sticking around for it for very long! So, I'll have lots of extra time to finish up Cullen House starting in September. Maybe even weekly updates!

EG


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I'm back! Updates should be regular from here on out, at least every other week and possibly weekly given my new three day work week. Let's get on with it…

**Chapter 12**

The Pub was as crowded as she had seen it when Ness arrived later that evening. Rosalie had complained about her distracted mood and went ahead without her when Ness's going out routine had stretched longer than usual. Serena had been nowhere to be found as was the norm with her lately, but Emmett had walked Ness to the door of the bar and then declined to enter. Ness was surprised at his change in attitude but understood when the first thing she saw when she entered was Royce and Rosalie sharing a passionate embrace. Ness considered leaving, too, but she was still quite shaken by what she had seen earlier in the afternoon and thought seeing Jake might soothe the rough edges.

Should she tell him what she saw? Ness considered the relief that confiding in someone would bring but decided things were too new and uncertain with Jake. She didn't want him to think less of her, think she was crazy. Ness wasn't so sure that she wasn't. The idea of telling Nate briefly tickled her mind, but she quickly dismissed that, too.

Ness craned her neck and tried to see around the crush of bodies. The expected sea of white uniforms was clustered around the main bar as usual. Rosalie had not noticed her arrival, still wrapped up in Royce. She accidentally met the eyes of the dark-haired girl she had seen several times now and was treated to a blatant, appraising stare. It wasn't hostile, merely curious, but it made Ness intensely uncomfortable. She was about to approach Rosalie just so she wouldn't feel so pathetic and alone, when the man who had been talking to the dark-haired girl turned around. It was Jake.

Ness smiled and tentatively raised a hand in greeting, and Jake returned her smile with one of his own. He left the dark-haired girl at the bar and made his way through the crowd to where Ness stood.

"Hey, there, I wasn't sure if I'd see you tonight when Rosalie showed up by herself," he greeted and put his hand on the small of her back to guide her back toward a small space along the bar. His hand felt hot through the material of her dress where he touched her. "What can I get you?" he asked expectantly. "You still owe me that walk around town; I haven't forgotten," he reminded her. And after her day, Ness had every intention of following through.

"Um, I'll just have that same IPA I had last time," Ness replied, but Jake's brows drew together, and he shook his head.

"Sorry, hon, I'm not sure which one that was," he admitted. Ness felt the blush creep across her cheeks. Of course, he didn't remember what she ordered. He had a lot more on his mind that her drink preferences. She shouldn't have expected him to keep track, but she couldn't help feeling a little hurt. She remembered what he had been drinking last time she saw him, after all.

"Oh, uh, sorry, it was the Newport Storm, I think," she told him, trying to act casual. Jake turned away from her toward the bartender to place her order, and Ness glanced around her. She was surprised to see Nate in the corner with two other guys, one of which she thought she recognized from the Cullen House grounds crew. The one she didn't recognize was talking animatedly with his hands while the other one listened intently. Nate, however, was turned toward her, his eyes watching her at the bar where she stood. As soon as he realized she'd seen him, he turned back to his companions. The whole thing was odd and made her feel uncomfortable, but she was once again seized with desire to tell him what happened today. She thought he would believe her. But now Jake's attention was back on her, so she put Nate out of her mind.

They chatted for awhile, standing at the bar, Jake regaling her with funny stories from his military indoctrination. Ness was struck by just how handsome he was and was once again amazed that he would look twice at someone as mousy as she was. Soon, her beer was empty, and Jake placed his empty glass next to hers.

"Time for that walk, don't you think?" he asked, inclining his head toward the door of the bar. Ness's mouth felt dry and her heart raced with nervousness at his suggestion. She knew she was being silly, but being alone together outside might be taking things to the next level. He could be planning to ask her out on a proper date or even planning to kiss her. Once again, she tried to act casual.

"Sure, that sounds great. It's still pretty warm, and the sun will be setting soon," she answered trying not to think about how romantic the harbor would be at sunset. Jake reached for her hand to tug her along after him as they left the crowded bar behind. Ness deliberately avoided looking in the direction where she had seen Nate before.

Ness was right; the harbor was incredibly romantic as the light got lower and lower. They walked hand in hand down the cobblestone street and continued their conversation. It rolled along nicely as the small talk continued. They mostly talked about Jake since Ness didn't really feel like she had anything interesting to add, but she felt more and more comfortable as time passed. They walked along the marina docks and looked at the expensive yachts. Jake explained some of the sea navigation that he had learned during his Navy ROTC days as an undergraduate. Ness was surprised that she felt perfectly fine walking along some of the floating docks, considering the uneasy sick feeling she experienced every time she landed at the Cullen House marina. Finally, their loop brought them back to the Pub. Jake paused outside the door on the sidewalk and turned to face Ness.

"I can't go back inside without doing this," he said and gripped her upper arms in his large hands. Her head spun as he pulled her toward him, one hand snaking up her back to cradle the back of her head. His lips met hers aggressively, and she opened her mouth in surprise at his forwardness. He took that as an invitation to thrust his tongue into her mouth. It was a foreign sensation; Ness had never been manhandled like this before, and she wasn't sure whether she was uncomfortable or if she was enjoying it. A noise escaped without her permission, and she was embarrassed when it came out sounding like a moan.

Jake ended the kiss and stepped back to grin at her. He seemed to have liked it, so Ness decided it must have been good and chalked her uncertainty up to inexperience. She was out of breath and panting a little. She shook her head to clear her thoughts which were whirling again just as bad as they had been earlier in the day. The bouncer stood smirking at the two of them by the open bar door, and Ness was mortified to realize they had been visible to the patrons inside of the bar.

Ness ducked her head in embarrassment as they re-entered the space. Rosalie was apparently well aware of her presence now and even gave a couple of claps as Jake and Ness made their way toward Rosalie and Royce.

"I didn't think you had it in you, my timid friend," she welcomed Ness, giving her a sly smile. Ness couldn't meet her eyes and dropped Jake's hand. Surely, he was embarrassed too. He wouldn't have kissed her so passionately if he'd known there was an audience. Rosalie wasn't having it though and threw an arm around Ness, pulling her close so she could speak quietly in her ear.

"Royce and I are about to head back to the house," she whispered. "Can you hang out with Jake for a few more hours?" Ness gaped at her in shock. She knew Rosalie was oblivious to Emmett's interest but thought bringing Royce back to their house was really too much. Plus, Ness was anxious to get to the Archives in the morning, and she wanted to go to bed. She knew it was Friday night, but who knew how long she'd be locked out of her bedroom with Rosalie and Royce holed up in there.

"Um…um…" Ness just stuttered, unsure how to answer and not brave enough to voice her true displeasure. Rosalie's face softened.

"I promise we won't kick you out all night, but I thought you might want an excuse to stay with Jake a while longer," she plead. Ness found a bit of a back bone and answered.

"I don't want to trick him into spending time with me," she said sharply. Rosalie laughed.

"What I just saw outside didn't look like he needed to be tricked into anything," she said, innuendo heavy in her voice. Ness just shook her head. She glanced over at Jake who seemed happy in his banter with Royce. Somehow another beer had appeared in his hand. Ness felt a flash of irritation that he hadn't offered her one.

"I need to use the restroom," she told Rosalie and stepped away to try and regain perspective. She jostled her way through the crowd to the short, dark hallway in the back that housed the men's and women's bathrooms. Thankfully, the ladies' room was empty, and she placed her hands on the counter and gazed at herself in the mirror, trying to come up with a plan. She hadn't been there long when she heard the door creak open, but she didn't turn her head.

"Are you really this naïve?" a harsh voice broke the silence. It had to be directed at her; no one else was in here. Ness turned away from her reflection.

"I find it hard to believe but it seems that those wide, innocent eyes, that guileless, open face, and that empty fucking brain are the real deal." Serena crossed the room quickly and was in her face in an instant. Her eyes were angry and narrow, and Ness was surprised by the level of animosity that she saw there. Serena seemed to be waiting for an answer, but Ness wasn't sure what to say. She had never been so thoroughly attacked or insulted in her life.

"What are you talking about?" Ness exclaimed, her voice quivering, grasping the marble countertop behind her and backing up against it. Serena was small, but right now, she was frightening.

"What are you talking about?" Serena mimicked her in a high mocking tone but then became deadly serious again. "I'm talking about my brother, you ninny. He's crazy about you, God knows why, and you're leading him on. You turn those doe eyes on him, act completely entranced when he describes his boring plants, then ignore him completely for the pretty boy in uniform out there. That guy is a complete tool, by the way. And you just made a spectacle of yourself tonight. He's probably high fiving his buddies out there right now. You made Nate watch that, and I won't forget it."

Ness had no idea how to respond. This attack seemed very unfair to her. Had she led Nate on? She didn't think so. It was time to defend herself.

"First of all, Serena," she began hesitantly and hated her non-confrontational nature, "It's not an act when I listen to Nate talk about his work. It's actually very interesting to me. And I haven't been leading him on. I wasn't sure if he was interested or not. I don't have a lot of experience with guys, so I guess the answer is yes. I really am this naïve. Second, Jake is a nice guy, and I won't apologize for being attracted to him. Neither one of us were aware that we had an audience to our…moment," Ness struggled to find an appropriate word for what had happened on the street. Serena huffed disbelievingly.

"You do need a lesson or two in life," she said insultingly but sounded a bit appeased. "Jake knew exactly what he was doing," she told Ness authoritatively. Ness shook her head and refused to believe it.

"Fine," Serena dismissed her. "Don't come crying to me when it gets out of hand. Maybe you are actually the right girl for Nate if you're this much of a Pollyanna and like to hear about historical gardening to boot," she scoffed. Much of the hostility had left her now, and she turned curious eyes to meet Ness's.

"Royce and Rosalie just left together, you know. I guess you're going to get the old bra on the door knob trick. What are you planning to do about that?" she asked. Ness shrugged.

"I'd actually come in here to try and figure that out, when you so rudely interrupted me," Ness sniped back, a little shocked and a little proud of her snappy retort. Serena almost cracked a smile.

"Well, if you're not planning to do Jake in a public park, then I guess you can sleep in my bed with me tonight. It's a double after all," she offered grudgingly. Ness was taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor. Maybe she was really just trying to look out for her brother.

"What about Embry?" Ness asked cautiously. Serena shrugged.

"I'm my own woman, Cullen. I don't need a man 24-7 to validate me. You'd do well to remember that. I'll see Embry tomorrow."

Ness spent a restless night in Serena's room. The girl was as high maintenance in sleep as she was awake, pushing and kicking Ness regularly throughout the night. Ness slipped out early while Serena was still sleeping and was very thankful to see that Royce was gone. Rosalie was still sleeping, too, when Ness eased into their room and changed out of Serena's pajamas and into her own shorts and shirt. She happily brushed her teeth and washed her face since she'd been unable to do that before bed last night, locked out as she had been.

Ness thought back to the evening and Serena's unexpected wrath and then kindness. She wondered how she would face Nate now that she had confirmation of his feelings for her. She still hadn't sorted through her own thoughts on the subject but knew she would sorely miss his friendship if she had to cut ties. She felt uneasy about how she had left things with Jake. He hadn't been happy when she announced her intentions to go back home with Serena. A guy like Jake had lots of options, and she knew she wouldn't keep him if she kept up her old tentative ways. He hadn't asked her on a proper date like she'd hoped, and she wasn't sure when she'd see him again. She touched her fingers to her lips as if she could still feel his kiss there.

But back to the task at hand, Ness reminded herself. Today she had some things that had to be done. First, she was going to tackle the Archives and see what she could turn up about the Cullens and Isabella Swan. She'd heard two voices pleading for her help, and she intended to give it, but she needed more information.

The house was quiet when she entered the kitchen to grab a banana on her way out, so she jumped in surprise when she saw Emmett seated at the kitchen table. His face was cradled in his hands, and he didn't respond even though it was obvious he'd heard her enter the room. Ness stood quietly, unsure how to approach this situation. Finally, Emmett sighed and put his hands down to look at her.

"Last night was torture," he said frankly. "I'm over her. If she can have feelings for a guy like that, she's not worth my time." Ness secretly felt the same but felt disloyal bashing Rosalie.

"I think if you can move on, it might be best," she told him diplomatically. He nodded in resignation.

"Where are you headed so early on a Saturday?" he asked.

"Archives," Ness answered briefly. "I have some ideas for my project I want to nail down." She hoped her answer didn't sound evasive; it was almost the truth. Emmett just nodded again.

"I hear you. I'll probably head out to the island today and tomorrow myself," he agreed. "I wouldn't mind getting a little more of the stonework detail finalized." They bid each other good day, and Ness was on her way.

Osgood-Pell was empty when she arrived, and she used her key card to access the Archives room. She sat down at a terminal and logged in and tried to come up with a plan. New and exciting details were routinely uncovered in the Archives. It was really just a collection of old newspapers, log books, financial records, letters, journals, and other such things that might be found in an individual's private possession. Since things like that couldn't really be completely catalogued by subject, information from a single, innocent sentence could trigger major breakthroughs. Rosalie's discovery of the gazebo on Cullen Island was good example. The reference to the mysterious Edward was another, she thought wryly. But where to start looking today?

She first pulled up the Jasper Whitlock and Alice Brandon letters. They trickled off in the fall of 1901, presumably because they'd been married that Christmas and no longer had a need to correspond when they lived together. She found the letter that Jasper had written, mentioning the gazebo and another one written by Alice that described the party that occurred after the gazebo's completion. Ness read this one through carefully, but Alice seemed much more intent on reliving the wonderful time the couple had had that day rather than describing the members of the party. Edward was not mentioned. She was about to click to the next letter when she skimmed to the end and froze. She re-read the excerpt:

_The only pall on an otherwise lovely day was the dreadful ride home in Mr. Hunter's steam car. That man is quite inappropriate, and I hope my dear friend will not be forced into marriage with him. He already treats her like property, and I fear his only interest is the money. On her part, she harbors no affection for him . _

Ness excitedly flipped to the filed clipping from the New York paper that talked about Isabella's murder. Yes, Isabella's fiancé had been named James Hunter. The letter she had just read was dated only weeks before her death. Surely, "the dear friend" had to refer to Isabella Swan. There wouldn't have been time for James Hunter to have had another love interest/potential fiancée. And this letter seemed to indicate, that Isabella Swan did not want to marry Mr. Hunter. If that were the case, then why would Edward want to kill her?

Ness decided to search the archive for any references to James Hunter. She entered the search term and waited for the list of documents to return and perused the list: a copy of his birth certificate showing he was born in Kentucky, a newspaper article from the Reno Evening Gazette about Mr. Hunter's mining successes in Nevada, and a marriage certificate for one James Hunter and Victoria Brown dated April 1902. Hmm, Ness thought, he didn't mourn Isabella for very long.

There was a brief obituary for James Hunter as the next entry. She remembered Rosalie saying that he had drowned on Cullen Island. That tidbit must be hidden in some Cullen documents because the obit didn't mention the cause of death, it simply stated that Mr. Hunter had died in Newport in June 1903 and left behind a wife and no children. Then, Ness found a hand-written financial log detailing dwindling assets after his arrival in the East but showed a large influx of capital in December 1901. Could that have been a dowry? Something else?

Ness was curious as to what became of Victoria Brown, so she decided to search for her. She quickly typed notes on James Hunter into a new document on her laptop since she couldn't print or copy these scanned original documents, then she entered the new name in the search bar.

It looked like Victoria Hunter had married John Riley in 1905 and sold Hunter House and most of its contents just after. I guess she wasn't sentimental, Ness thought. But Riley was a wealthy merchant from Boston, and the poor widow had taken a step up in society, so she could afford not to be. Ness minimized the Archive and went to the NCPS museum collection page which detailed all artifacts on display in the various museums in Newport.

Hunter House was a late 18th century Colonial Georgian style home that was much more modest than the mansions on Bellevue Avenue. James Hunter had bought it and changed its name when he made his first foray into Newport society. Ness was pleased to see that many of Mr. Hunter's original possessions were on display at Hunter House, which was one of NCPS's holdings. Bless Victoria Riley's unsentimental heart. She was most excited to see copies of personal letters written by the then Victoria Hunter listed amongst the collection.

Unfortunately, Hunter House was not as popular as the other mansions and was only shown by appointment. The curator was listed as Nolan Berty, and he was an assistant curator at one of the other mansions which was open for business today. Ness checked her watch and was happy to see that it was late enough that the museums would be open by now. She grabbed the phone to call over to The Marble House hoping to find Mr. Berty.

Ness stood in front of Trinity Church once again, but today she wasn't going inside. She headed around the side and paused at the creaky iron gate, swinging it open wide enough for her to step inside. Large trees shaded the cemetery, and the ancient headstones were embraced by hundreds of years of lush foliage. Ness walked silently through the peaceful scene, thankful to have the area to herself this morning. There would probably be more tourists later, but for now, she was alone.

Mr. Berty had agreed to show Ness the contents of Hunter House just after noon. He had showed all the enthusiasm and then some of Mrs. Goff from Swan Court. Ness felt a little guilty that seeing Hunter House had absolutely nothing to do with her project, but she still felt compelled to see what she could find there.

Finally, she spotted the white marble obelisk emblazoned with the surname Swan. It was enclosed within a small square rock wall, separating this family plot from the others surrounding it. The obelisk was for Charles Swan, but his was not the first grave placed here. Ness had learned this morning that he had arranged for burial next to his daughter and had his wife's body moved from the family cemetery in New York and placed next to his as a stipulation of his will.

Ness stood outside the low wall and examined the obelisk. It stood off center in the plot, and it had Charles' dates grandly carved in the center. Underneath his name, Ness saw his wife's name, Susan, listed with her dates. She presumed it was off-center lying over top both of these graves. On the other side of the plot was a much smaller gray headstone. Ness stepped into the enclosure and crouched down to get a better look. The stone had a curlicue apex with an angel carved above the words. It said: Isabella Marie Swan, 1883-1901, Beloved Daughter.

Ness sighed and sat down on the low wall with her back to the Swans' graves. She wasn't sure why she had come here or what she'd hoped to learn from looking at this sad, little family. Just then, a cloud covered the sun, and the temperature seemed to drop fifteen degrees. Ness's skin prickled, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She had felt this before and thought she knew what to expect. That sense of someone in her peripheral vision returned, and slowly she turned her head.

She wasn't alone on the stone wall. The dark-haired girl was sitting next to her, the white old-fashioned dress just as Ness remembered it. But this time, the girl was looking right at her. Her eyes were dark and terrifying, seemingly bottomless pools. Ness sucked in air to scream but forced herself to stay calm.

"Isabella?" she asked tentatively. Surely, this couldn't be happening. She was probably talking to herself in the middle of a graveyard, Ness reasoned. But the girl nodded her head once, responding to the question. Ness let out a shaky breath, a cross between a gasp and a laugh. Isabella continued to stare at her, waiting.

"They're wrong about Edward, aren't they?" Ness asked in a rush. This time, Isabella's lips curved upward into a small smile before she nodded again. "Please help," she whispered, and then, the sun came out. Isabella vanished. Ness leapt to her feet and glanced about wildly, looking for what she didn't know.

"I'm going to James Hunter's house to look at his things. Tell me what else I can do!" she called out to the empty cemetery. But Ness knew Isabella was gone; she couldn't feel her there anymore. She made her way out of the graveyard quickly, not sure if it was possible for her to run into any other ghosts. Halfway to the gate, she heard voices and almost cried in relief, happy to no longer be alone, when she saw the tourists enter the iron fence.

Ness was still quite shaken when she arrived at Hunter House just a little later. She wanted to shout at him to hurry up, but she endured Mr. Berty's tour in what she hoped was fascinated silence. He painstakingly showed her every artifact under his curation, including furniture, old clothing, some old mining equipment, and a shaving kit, he found particularly important.

Ness kept flashing back to Isabella's sad smile and empty eyes. What had happened to her? She now knew that her ancestor was innocent of murder, but she couldn't tell anyone. What would she say? The ghost of the victim told me he didn't do it? Not likely.

Finally, Mr. Berty removed Victoria's old letters from the glass case that held them. He offered Ness a pair of white cotton gloves like the ones he wore so she could examine them herself. Luckily, Victoria had decent handwriting and the ink had not faded much, so she could make out most of the writings. Mr. Berty hovered near Ness at the table while she read, and she desperately wished he would leave her alone.

Ness made her way through letters from Victoria's mother, her sister, and started to read the third letter. She sat stunned as she realized who it was from and the subject. Mr. Berty gave her a sly, pleased smile when he knew she understood the significance.

"I didn't warn you because I wanted you to be surprised when you saw this one. And you are!" he crowed. "I figured you knew Hunter's back story. It's kind of sad that his wife didn't even care enough to save this when she re-married," he finished. Ness nodded absently, wishing he would be quiet and let her read.

"Maybe it was just too painful for her to have," he prattled on, "but she shouldn't have left it in a box for the new owners of the house to find. Kind of tacky, if you ask me…" Ness finally tuned him out and focused on the letter. It was from a doctor who had been present for James Hunter's last moments. He had written to the poor man's widow, reassuring her that her husband had not suffered in the end.

_…I want to assure you, Madam, your dear husband was feverish and not aware of what was happening when his time came. After he was rescued from the water, where he most unfortunately fell after succumbing to extreme fatigue, he was quite unconscious. Gentlemen from the party, including Mr. Vanderbilt, helped to carry him into the house where he was warmed and dried and laid in a guest bedroom. Luckily, I was present and summoned from where I was playing cards with Mr. Vanderbilt's fiancée, Miss Gardiner, and hastened to his side. I found him barely breathing, the cold and lack of air having taken most of his life force. I tried valiantly to warm him but the amount of water in his lungs proved too great for my craft. He awoke only briefly and spoke nonsense saying, "God help me, he's had his revenge. It was him; I saw his eyes, even though it is impossible! He held me, and she cut the rope. Has she known all along? She was not surprised or frightened to see him." _

_ I knew this speech to be nonsense, Madam, because there was no rope where your husband was found, and he was quite alone outside on the docks when his accident occurred. He gripped my hand, opened his eyes, and spoke once more. "You must look for her. Her dress will be wet, that's how you'll know. But, I walked free, and now she may, too…" Madam, I believe his last words were concern for you. In his confusion, he must have thought you were in danger from the water, too. I speculate his reference to walking free was when he realized the angels had come for him, freeing him from this life, and he wishes to see you in Heaven when you may join him. He closed his eyes peacefully after that…_

Ness pondered the contents of the letter. She did not agree with the good doctor's assessment that James Hunter saw the angels arrive and was anxious to re-unite with his wife in Heaven. And in her opinion, he was most definitely suffering in his last moments. He sounded guilty, like he was aware he gotten what he deserved. And fatigue caused him to fall into the water? Yeah, right, more likely drunkenness, Ness thought cynically.

_Her dress will be wet_. Could Victoria Hunter have murdered her husband? That line sounded like an accusation to Ness. But the way the letter was written, it sounded like Victoria hadn't been present at the party in question. The references to Mr. Vanderbilt and Miss Gardiner made Ness think it had been some kind of engagement party. Why would Hunter have attended something like that alone?

Well, the letter had given her more information than she'd had before but more new questions than answers. Where could she look next? Could there be more information in the Cullen documents? Rosalie might know, but that would require confiding in her. Ness thanked Mr. Berty for his attention and kindness and hastily returned to the sidewalk.

She returned reality to dread the conversation she knew she would be forced to have with Rosalie when she got home. And things were awkward with Serena despite her surprising generosity the night before. Ness tried to put the past in the past and focus on the present for now as she walked away from Hunter House.

Hunter House is real! I found a picture when I was researching this story. Proof I'm on the right track with this tale, I like to think. So, what do you think happened back in 1901 and 1903? I'd love to hear theories in your reviews!

EG


End file.
